Save Me From Hell
by Silverlining12
Summary: During the Hogwarts war, Draco Malfoy escapes from the Dark lord, bumping with a certain brunette along the way. What will they find out when they return to Hogwarts as they were forced to run from enemies, from the past, and their emotions. SO SORRY FOR LATE UPDATE!
1. Escape

Conserva Me Ab Inferno

Save me From Hell

A Dramione fanfiction by Silverlining

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns them all except for my plot mmkay?

A/N; this is my first shot at writing Dramione, hope you guys like it ^^

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: Evado (escape)<p>

"Give me Draco" A slithery, menacing voice said, growling at a woman with platinum blonde hair, "Send him in now."

"Yes my lord." The woman whispered, fear evident in her voice. With a flick of her wand, a wizened, old house-elf appeared, dressed in a tattered pillowcase, "Blinky, tell your master Draco to head here, immediately.'

"Yes Mistress." The house-elf said, disappearing after a quick bow, only to appear moments later with a young man following his wake, the man's white face drawn with fear, approaching the long table and doing all he can to avoid looking at the unearthly man seated at the head of the table.

"You called, my Lord?" Draco said, his voice that was normally full of haught, now feeble and fearful. He inched his eyes upward, mustering the courage to stand looking at the man's face, stopping short at the almost nonexistent line of the lips, his heart skipping beats with dread.

"Relax, Draco, I only want a little word; come forward." The snake-like man said, his voice full of menace, giving a little smirk that sent shivers down Draco's spine.

Draco willed his feet to move forward, every step he made echoing all throughout the big chamber, his eyes trained on the spotless, marble floor. He stopped short of three seats away from Voldemort, his eyes still downcast, as if afraid that if he dared look, the Dark Lord might burn his eyes to ashes.

"Sit." Voldemort hissed. Draco moved to sit on the chair in front of him until he heard Voldemort speak, "Beside me."

He hastened to move on the chair beside Voldemort and sat down. He looked at the silk tablecloth, tracing the patterns with his eyes, still too afraid to look at the dreadful man beside him. He felt Voldemort look at him, his piercing gaze telling him that he's being subject to Legilimancy. He quickly pushed his deepest secrets to the back of his mind, shielding them with his will-power and knowledge in Occlumency, attempting to retain the last bit of him the Dark Lord still hasn't probed into.

"Harry Potter killed Nagini under your watch." Voldemort began. Draco felt his throat constrict as nerves overpowered him; he made sure that last bit of treachery was pushed at the very back of his mind, he hoped Voldemort didn't plow through it, but rather, just heard it from his _dear_ Aunt. "I expected so highly of you; I was once hoping that you'd surpass your father's ability of judgement." He whipped out his wand and pointed it at Draco's trembling lips, "Apparently not."

Draco suppressed the urge to gulp and looked at the wand nervously. He was shaking all over; cold sweat running down his back. So this is it then, but better this than anything else.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Voldemort growled, a jet of grin light shooting out of his wand. Draco opened his eyes and suppressed a cry as he saw his mother lay limp on the ground, her silvery, grey eyes glassy and lifeless.

Voldemort looked amused as Draco leapt on his feet and scrambled up the table, jumping down at the floor on the other side, gripping his mother's hand. He merely sat back and drank wine as the young man gave him one lasting look of contempt before disapparating, leaving him in the dark chamber.

A sinister grin spreads on Voldemort's lips

* * *

><p>Draco appeared amidst a clump of trees, his heart pounding wildly as he looked at the wrist encased in his hand. He knelt down and pulled his mother's limp body closer, a cascade of tears peppered on the late Narcissa Malfoy's face.<p>

"Mother." Draco whispered, planting a kiss on his mother's cold forehead before laying her on the forest ground and standing up. He took out his wand and waved it over an expanse of earth beside his mother, making the earth dig a pit for itself. He knelt back down and unclasped a necklace with the Malfoy crest from her neck and put it around his own, before standing back up and pointing his wand at her body.

"_Mobilicorpus_." He murmured, guiding his mother's body towards the pit, sealing it after she was laid gently. His knees buckled and gave way as the tears in his eyes never stopped. She's gone; the only person who cared and loved him without expectations or anything in return is gone.

_Mother…._

He laid down on the earth, too tired to move into a safer place, too sad to even think. He only wanted to lay where his mother is laid, wanted to sleep beside her even for one last time. Wanted to feel her loving arms wrap around his cold being and make him feel safe again. But it's all too much to wish for.

* * *

><p>Hermione woke up to the sound of crickets, shivering as the thin blanket fell down around her. She got up quickly as she realized that she was alone, groping around for her wand.<p>

"Damn!" She hissed as she remembered about their plan; Harry and Ron returned to Grimmauld Place after they lost Hogwarts to Voldemort, waiting for the Order while she stays in these woods. They told her that it would be safer if she stayed, seeing that if something went wrong, they can easily apparate back to her, ensuring another safehouse if ever they needed to retreat. As she was an apt healer, (having studied most of their books at Hogwarts before even the war started) she would make a great one and ensure them that she could guarantee the health of anyone injured. She yawned and found her wand under her pillow and put on her boots and coat, getting ready to do her daily rounds.

She moved towards the barriers and checked their strength, every now and then muttering and renewing enchantments. She stopped at a particular spot and frowned, raising her wand.

"_Salvio Hexia…Repello Muggleton_." She said, smiling contentedly as a soft breeze of cool air passed over her in a protective dome, encompassing about a couple of acres from where she stood. She turned to leave.

"Granger?" She heard a soft whisper behind her, looking around and stifled a gasp. A young man with platinum blonde hair, although dirtied in a couple of spots as she noticed, and stormy, gray eyes looked at the area where she is, although she knew he can't possibly see her with the enchantments she made, "Granger, is that you?"

'_Shoot! How did he know?'_ Hermione cursed and willed her feet to move, wanting to avoid the boy; what was he doing here anyway?

"Wait Granger! I'm not going to hurt you! Listen!" Draco said, breaking into a run, colliding into Hermione's barrier. Hermione gasped as Draco was thrown a few meters away, into a clump of bushes, his wand laying just outside the barrier. Hermione hesitated and picked up the wand, thinking if she should follow him.

Hermione stopped short, gasping as she saw Draco stand up, only later to be flanked by three, hooded figures, leering menacingly at the blonde.

"Well what do we have here? Young Master Malfoy, how charming." One of them said, flashing a yellow, toothy grin at him, "I think your father might pay a good price for your…er…safe return."

Draco gritted his teeth and stood up, groping in his pockets for his wand while looking at his adversaries, _'Snatchers'_ he thought, his eyes darting from one after the other. He settled his gaze back at the man who spoke, thinking that this might be the leader, "What do you want? You should go about looking for mudbloods and blood-traitors. Leave me alone." He said in a most menacing tone he could muster, but failing miserably when he found out that his wand was gone. The men laughed and took a step forward, Draco taking a step back by impulse. He swore to himself, damning his instincts to flee,; he's not gonna run, not anymore.

"Don't think of yourself so highly, Malfoy; you're not in the Dark Lord's favor anymore." The man moved forward and guffawed, the sound making Draco's blood boil, "Daddy's not here to help you boy. Come quietly or I'll be forced to - ." The man was cut short, finding himself flung several feet in the air, making his comrades start in surprise and pull their wands out. Draco heard a shuffling of leaves and yelped as he was dragged backward by the collar. He struggled, snatching away at the invisible entity that seemed to be pulling him farther away from the snatchers, noticing a slight change in atmosphere, like plunging into a warm room after playing in the snow, and gasped as he was released, looking behind him and finding a pair of brown eyes locking with his gray ones before looking back at the two men.

"Granger?" Draco whispered, earning a stern look from Hermione and a signal to shut up. He turned around, watching as the Snatchers' leader finally came to view, limping painfully and hexing one of the men in frustration. They collected their bearings and ran off towards the far end of the forest. Draco turned around to look at Hermione, noticing her once, bushy hair now well tamed and pulled back into a ponytail, the wavy locks cascading down her shoulders and glittering gold when hit with moonlight. Hermione seemed to notice him staring and looked at him, her brown eyes glowing fiercely with a fire he didn't know she had, "Malfoy, what the hell are you doing here? Are you trying to hunt us down?"

"On the contrary, I was just running away." He said, brushing the dirt off his clothes, "I probably am crazy to thank you, but then again maybe I won't" Draco grinned.

"Git, do you honestly think I'd believe you?" She said, pointing her wand at Draco's face. She narrowed her eyes in loathing, scoffing as he gave her that trademark smirk.

"Why did you save me then?" He asked. Hermione fell silent; she didn't know herself. She fiddled around in her robes subconsciously, her hand getting out Draco's wand.

"Look, you even have my wand, do you expect me to put up a fight?" Draco said weakly, he felt his head spin but retained composure; he's not going to let a mudblood see him in his worst.

"Knowing you, I'm not surprised if you have poisoned darts shooting out from your hands." Hermione said, not bothering to lower her wand. Draco fought the impulse to roll his eyes and sighed, "Look Granger, I really am telling the truth, you can keep my wand if you want to but if you don't want to listen to what I have to say, you can toss it out of this bloody barrier and just let me run away with it." He said. Hermione's shoulders relaxed as she lowered her wand a bit, raising n eyebrow, "What do you want?"

"I want to come with you." Draco said, attempting to step forward towards the brunette, almost stumbling in the process, "Granger."

"What?" Hermione hissed, raising her wand again, "You have the nerve!"

"I was acting under You-Know-Who's orders. Now don't go saying his name; it's still charmed to work as a tracker for whoever says it. Figured only strong and opposing wizards will not hesitate to use it."

"Tell me something I don't know." Hermione growled, remembering how the Burrow was attacked during Bill and Fleur's wedding, "Do you have any proof that you're not a scum of a Death Eater then?"

Draco shakily rolled up the sleeves of his filthy dress shirt and showed her both his arms, both unblemished except for a few bruises and dirt, "See?" He said, looking up at Hermione, his world starting to spin, "I know this sounds stupid, but I ran away from home because -."

"You were scared." Hermione finished with her insufferably-know-it-all voice, earning a heated look from the blonde.

"You would be, if you're subject to torture every now and then." Draco wheezed, making Hermione blink, taken aback, "I'm not gonna waste my time here if you're not gonna help me, I'd have my wand back now." He said, trying to move towards her. He cursed as his legs gave way, everything around him going in slow motion. He felt soft arms catch him, a whiff of vanilla and raspberry invading his nose. He closed his eyes and the spinning stopped, the only sound he heard was his mother calling out his name.

'_Draco'_

End Chapter 1

* * *

><p>Oookay so I'm gonna warn you now, Draco will be a bit or tad OOC…or not…I just don't want him to be portrayed as someone badassy not losing his cool kind of guy; he'd be the same git, only softer and more vulnerable rather than seemingly immortal and free of physical (or emotional) pain that I've seen other authors circling around here tend to write, I'm just going to keep them rooted, more human-like if want of a better word, but hey please do review, I'd much appreciate constructive criticisms and flames if you want, though I warn you, my knowledge in colorful vocabularies might work as a decent fire extinguisher so let's not rather cross that line and just be civil mmkay?<p>

Let me know what you think ^^

-Silverlining


	2. Remember

Hey guys!~ second chappie is up, I decided I'd leave two chapters for you all to mull over in, then if I get positive comments, I might work on typing the other five I already finished then post it on a regular schedule, maybe once a week or once every two weeks, whichever makes me happy, but hey, please review ^^

Disclaimer: Do I seriously have to remind you guys that this is just fiction? *points to banner*

I wish I could own Draco

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Memento (remember)<p>

Hermione she looked at the blonde man now lying on her bed. She managed to levitate him towards the magical tent she was currently staying in, her conscience winning against her spite. She stood up and contemplated what if this is another trap? What if the Death eaters were already on their way to where she is now? She can't even move without sending a message to Harry at Grimmauld Place, but that would be too risky. She sighed and licked her lips in frustration; looks like she's stuck with the ferret for now.

Hell, he'd be useful soon enough

"Err…" Draco grunted and opened his eyes, only to find himself lying down in a somewhat soft surface. He sat up and saw Hermione looking at him, her lips pursed and her hands on her hips, he kinda admit that she looks very appealing when she's like this.

"Alright, you can come with me, but I'll be keeping your wand in the meantime." She said, walking out of the tent, "I'll be right back. Don't do anything funny or I'll hex you." And with that, she disappeared behind the tent's flap.

Draco gingerly moved away from the bed and looked around; an empty hearth was sitting on one side of the tent, some ashes still smoking hinted that it was used just recently. There's another flap on the left wall which he guessed would be either a kitchenette or a bathroom and another one next to it, though a bit smaller. Hermione entered the tent a couple of minutes later, shaking off the snow from her coat. Draco stared as a pink tinge appeared on her cheeks, her breath coming out in little puffs of clouds from her plump, red lips. She walked past him without a word while he shook his head to erase his thoughts, "So they're not with you?" He asked, referring to Harry and Ron when noted that there's only one bed.

"Obviously" Hermione nodded, walking towards the hearth. She pulled out her wand and summoned a few blocks of firewood from outside, placing them on the center, piling them on top of the other until they're at least a foot high. She then muttered a quick _Incendio_ and the fire blazed for a moment before settling back on the wood in a cheery haze. She waved her wand again, making the fire and wood suspend in midair, a bit larger that before spreading the warmth all throughout the tent. Draco stood and stared as Hermione put up her hands in front of the fire, occasionally rubbing them together to generate some heat. Draco admired the way the fire silhouetted her face, the soft curls of her otherwise bushy hair cascaded on her shoulders gracefully as she pulled the ponytail off and shook the snow off it. It never occurred to Draco how much she changed, not until now, she looks almost beautiful.

Heck, who was he kidding? She's gorgeous.

"Malfoy." Hermione's voice pulled him back to his senses and he couldn't help but smile, which threw Hermione off for a bit till Draco brought his smile to a sneer, _'Damn'  
><em>

"Are you just gonna stand there and freeze to death? Or is this place not suitable enough to house a _noble_ Malfoy?" She said. Draco heard the sarcasm on the word 'noble' but he bit a snarky retort; it wouldn't do him good to argue with her, not without a wand anyway. He sighed and moved forward, sitting on a chair beside the hearth and awkwardly positioning his palms towards the head, '_Damn, that felt great'_ As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly earning a soft snort from Hermione, "How long have you been out there?" She asked, flicking her wand towards one flap on the wall, "_Accio_ foodtray!" She said as said objects flew in from what Draco guessed was the kitchen. Hermione then moved it over to Draco, stopping just in front of him, hovering at a comfortable distance above his lap. Draco took the tray and eyed it suspiciously before picking up a spoon to scoop the stew. Hermione rolled her eyes and waved her wand, making the cold dish steaming hot, "I won't poison you; you have to eat if you plan to live longer."

"A week." Draco grumbled in response to her first question, hastily putting the spoonful of stew in his mouth, not minding if it's hot. Hermione summoned a clean, drinking glass and set it in the air in front of Draco's foodtray, pointing her wand at it, _"Aguamenti"_, She murmured, watching as the glass filled with water. Draco abandoned the spoon moments later and proceeded to gulp the stew straight from the bowl. Hermione's eyes softened as she regarded him for the first time; noting his tattered dress-shirt and tousled hair, the usual platinum blonde now caked with dirt and mud. His pale skin was covered with muck and bruises, making her wonder what on earth he'd been through. He spooned up the last of the stew, the once arrogant façade abandoned instantly as he finished the food in a mere five minutes. He turned to look at her expectantly, his eyes staring at hers hungrily for a good few seconds before she turned to summon the rest of the stew in a pot and settled it in front of him. He took it in haste and began to shovel the stew to his mouth, leaving Hermione to contemplate about his eyes, such beautiful, stormy eyes.

'_Damn it Hermione!' _She said to herself and stood up, "I'm gonna go and finish my rounds."

"You're not going to eat?" Draco said in between gulps of stew.

"I figured you can use more portions." Hermione grinned, pocketing Draco's and her wands, "Don't do anything stupid." She called before going out.

Draco shrugged and returned to his meal, staring at the fire as the pot slowly emptied. It zoomed away after he's finished, returning to the kitchen, sounds of soft scraping and rushing of water suggested that it was starting to clean itself. Draco leaned back on the chair, taking the floating glass of water and emptying it in three gulps before sighing. What on earth did he get himself into?

He stood up and decided to explore the tent, moving towards the other flap beside the kitchen. He sighed in relief as he saw the quaint bathroom, moving inside to check a floating tap. He turned it lightly and thanked the gods at the soft rush of warm water; Hermione really is the brightest witch of her age.

He carefully striped himself of clothing, wincing as he carefully peeled the sides of clothing that were stuck to his bruises and noticed a showerhead, also floating above him. He turned another floating knob in front of him and was engulfed in soft, warm drizzles of water, the temperature remaining just right even as he opened the knob more. He stood below the warm rain, sighing as he felt the soot and mud wash away from his hair and body, slowly cleansing his skin. He looked around the little space and saw a shelf of toiletries, filled with soaps and shampoos. He reached for a bar of soap, remembering the whiff of raspberry he smelled from earlier and lathered it all over his body, groaning as the bruises came in contact with it. He reached for the shampoo, this one apparently vanilla-scented, and rubbed a generous amount in his hair, running his fingers across the blonde locks, disentangling strands that were stuck together with mud. He rinsed himself thoroughly, watching as the stream of dark water flowed away from his body and slowly began to clear, as he repeated the process until he's satisfied. He turned off the shower and groped around for his wand, cursing as he remembered that Hermione had it. Huffing, he reached instead for a fluffy towel hanging on a rack beside the bathroom's entrance and dried himself before wrapping it around his waist. He then grabbed his torn clothes and walked outside, finding a frowning Hermione seated on the bed.

"What the heck are you doing?" Hermione said.

"I took a bath, I thought you're smart?" Draco replied, moving towards her, "I need you to fix these for me."

He handed his clothes to her and she can't help but blush as she looked at Draco's surprisingly lean, muscular build, although struck with fatigue, his skin glowed in the soft light as the mud and gore were cleaned away, and his face just simply exquisite, framed by that god-forbidden perfect, blonde hair. She took the clothes and muttered a few spells, making it fix and clean itself before handing it back to Draco who chuckled and draped it on his arm, regretting it a second later as he winced in pain when the cloth came in contact with his wounds.

"Git" Hermione murmured as she stood up and moved towards him. The young man took a step backward, looking at Hermione alarmingly, "What are you planning, Granger?"

"I'm going to heal you, you retard." She mumbled as she took the clothes from his arms and pointed the wand on one of his arms, "_Dermineo"_ She said, her wand emitting a beam of light which engulfed his whole arm. Draco sighed in relief as a soothing, cold wave wrapped his arm, looking in awe as the bruises slowly shrunk and disappeared. Hermione did the same on his other arm, his whole torso and neck, then his legs. She stood up and pointed her wand at his face, muttering again, looking straight at his gray eyes. He closed his eyes as a gentle relief washed over his entire body, lingering for a few seconds before vanishing completely. He opened his eyes and found Hermione walking back to the bed and sitting on it, sheathing her wand back in her belt.

"Thanks Granger." Draco said, getting his clothes and walking back to the bathroom. He pulled his clothes on and returned to the room, seating at the chair beside the fire, "Granger, why are you helping me?"

"Why? Would you rather I don't?" Hermione snapped.

"No, that's not what I meant, I really want to know why." Draco replied. He really was curious; the Granger, the Hermione Granger he knew would not think twice and leave him lying unconscious on the floor or even hex him to oblivion or just let him get caught by those Snatchers. HE would do it if ever their situations switched; but something inside him screamed that he wouldn't even have the guts to do it.

"I'm not like your friends. I don't leave people helpless like that, especially if they mean no harm. Friend or Foe." She said

"Even if they might be planning to harm you?" Draco asked.

"Why, are you planning anything?"

"Not at the moment, no." Draco answered, smirking. Hermione rolled her eyes, "Git.' She murmured, laying on the bed and turning her back on Draco.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" Draco asked walking towards her. Hermione pointed her wand to a part of the tent beside the hearth, not bothering to look, and with a pop, another bunk bed appeared.

"Why so far? Are you scared of me?" Draco teased, walking towards the newly conjured bed.

"Why should I be scared of a bloody ferret?" Hermione said in a huff, covering herself with a blanket, "That's just assurance that you won't do anything stupid."

"I wouldn't touch you if my life depended on it, Granger, if that's what you're thinking." He said, sliding underneath the bed's covers and laying on the soft surface, groaning in relief.

"Drop it Malfoy." Hermione growled sleepily and closed her eyes. Draco grinned but was too tired to utter a response, surrendering himself to the bliss of the pillows below his head.

* * *

><p>Hermione opened her eyes, painfully aware of the male presence lying across from her at the far side of the tent. She turned around and faced him, looking at the back of his head, watching the rise and fall of the covers as he breathed. She sighed and turned on her back, staring at the ceiling of the tent, asking why she let the pompous bastard come with her. Sure, it had been days, weeks even, since Harry and Ron left her, telling her to stay put and all that jazz, but it has been way too long, too long without letters or signs.<p>

She can't help but entertain that nagging feeling that maybe they had abandoned her.

'_No Hermione, that's absurd.' _ She told herself, a frown decorating her lips, _'I'm sure they just have a plan'  
><em>

A slight whimper caused her to sit upright, grabbing her wand by impulse, "_Lumos_" She whispered, the light from her wand illuminating the room. She frowned when she found nothing unusual until her wand reached Draco's bed. He was shivering, the blanket lay forgotten at the foot of his bed. Draco was sweating profusely, his eyebrows furrowed and his face a mask of fear. He was whimpering and shaking, his knuckled turning white as they clenched in tight fists. Hermione panicked and proceeded to shake him awake, slapping his face in the process. Draco shot up and frantically clutched Hermione's wrist, his eyes mirroring pure terror

"Mother" He whispered, his voice shaking. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, burying his head on Hermione's shoulder, "Mother" He mumbled, soft sobs cracking in his throat. Hermione froze, too shocked to grasp what was going on. She looked down at the young man hugging her waist, couldn't believe that this was the same, arrogant oaf that bullied her back at school; the same man that almost killed their headmaster, the foul, loathsome, evil, little cockroach who made their stay at Hogwarts a little less pleasant.

She remained seated at the edge of his bed, moving to adjust his head so that it rested on her lap, gingerly turning the trembling man over to face upward. She brushed the stray hair off his face, feeling sorry for him; what could have possibly happened to make someone as smarmy as him turn to this?

A few moments later, Draco's face relaxed, his whimpers and mumbles died down, and his breathing slowed, hinting that he had fallen back to sleep. Hermione absentmindedly stroke his hair, looking at the far end of the room, still deep in thought. This is all his fault, that Voldemort. She looked back down at Draco and tried to ease herself off from under him, feeling him twitch for a bit. She panicked and tried to disengage faster, earning a grunt from the man. Hermione froze as the gray eyes opened, looking up at her in a haze, the pupils dilating before focusing on her brown orbs. He opened his eyes in surprise and sat up, scooting farther from the brunette, "What are you doing Granger?"

"You were having a nightmare." Hermione replied, clearing her throat, standing up from the bed and going back towards her own. Draco moved to lay back down, wiping his face and closing his eyes. He heard some sheets ruffle from Hermione's bed and looked in time to see her get in and turn her back from him.

"Thanks." Draco said before he can stop himself. He knows it's humiliating to even express gratitude towards Hermione, a muggle-born, a mudblood. But what did it matter? He's not going to bring honor to his name anyway. And what's the point of honor? He lost the only person he cared for all his life.

"What it is…your dream?" Hermione asked, turning to look at Draco, a bit perplexed to see that he's facing her, his gray eyes training over her brown ones. He looked away and sighed, mumbling the same phrase he said to those who asked him anything sensitive, "None of your business."

"You said something about your mother." Hermione's gaze softened, sitting up to properly hear what he's going to say. She expected him to be defensive, but seeing the falter in his gaze, she knew that he'd tell her what happened.

"Voldemort, he-." Draco stopped himself, cursing a little too late. He got up and ran to her, pulling her on her feet, "Damn! We have to go! They'll be on us in a minute."

"Wha- oh!" Hermione exclaimed, remembering what he said. She ran out of the tent and, sure enough, there are hooded figures encircling them, wearing dreadful masks. Hermione grabbed Draco, drawing her wand out and firing a hex at the nearest Death Eater before sprinting in that direction.

"Are you insane? Let's just apparate!." Draco howled, dodging a curse that whizzed past his left ear, running with all his might to keep up with Hermione's surprisingly agile sprints.

"We can't we have to pass my barrier." Hermione called out, firing a Jelly-Leg curse at the Death Eater behind them, causing him to stumble and trip the next one that followed him.

"Almost there!" Hermione said, willing her legs to go faster. They felt the familiar sensation of passing through a wall of air and the change in temperature before Hermione turned with Draco and disappeared with a pop.

* * *

><p>They arrived on the streets of Muggle London, the first light of dawn beaming on their tired bodies, as they gasped from the aftershock of the uncomfortable sensation of Apparition. Hermione let go of his hand, facing him angrily, "What are you playing at? Be more careful!" She said, walking up the street, motioning for Draco to follow. He trotted towards her and followed silently, busily regarding the suburbs. Hermione stopped by a house and went up the stairs, pointing her wand at the door and closing her eyes, "<em>Fidelius"<br>_

The house was enclosed in a bright light, disappearing bit by bit before Draco's eyes. Hermione hastily pulled a scrap of parchment from her pocket and waved her wand over it, handing it to Draco, "Memorize it." She said, walking up the stairs and disappearing. Draco hastily memorized the paper and looked up, watching as the door of the house slowly materialized until the whole house reappeared. He opened the door and handed Hermione back the parchment, which she promptly burned and she proceeded to cast wards and protective spells.

"Where are we?" Draco asked as Hermione moved to the various rooms in the house, with him following closely. He noticed pictures hanging on the walls of the stairs when they went to the second floor; a couple, middle-aged, dressed in the peculiar white robes with smiles on their faces. Although, Draco noticed that they were awkwardly seated apart, leaving a noticeable gap in the middle; he was fascinated by the fact that the portrait isn't moving. Hermione reappeared at the head of the stairs, finding Draco looking at the picture, she cleared her throat and walked down the stairs, "They're my parents."

End Of Chapter

* * *

><p>Wew! So this is it, I'm going to wait for your reviews before I update another chapter :D Just a little motivation if I should continue this fic or let it burn to ashes, I have some great things planned along the way and it would be a waste if my block gets the better of me.<p>

Thanks for reading! Please review! *offers magical cookies*

-Silverlining


	3. Reunion

Hey guys! I know I promised an update before but things got real busy here at home :D My Dad got home! And I'm freaking ecstatic. We haven't seen him in two years so we just had to have some quality time with him.

Thank you to those who took the time to put my story to alert and to the lovely chap who reviewed, thanks so much :D

So without further ado, here's another chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, queen Rowling does. But I'd give anything to own Draco

Chapter 3: Reunion

Draco noticed the slight falter in Hermione's voice when she mentioned her parents but decided not to pry. She gave a curt nod and went downstairs, passing by him in a huff. He watched her disappear into a hallway then proceeded to look at the pictures. He noticed the similarities Hermione inherited from her parents; the bushy hair, noticeably coming from her father's brown curls. The button-nose, pouty lips, and even the slight upturn of her almond-shaped eyes from her mother, and he found them surprisingly interesting. He went down and started to explore the rooms, coming across a very peculiar chair with contraptions and a large light overhead. He strode towards the chair and looked cautiously at the instruments lying on an extended part of the chair's armrest, picking one that has a long, plastic thing that was attached at one end. He gripped at it and regretted it a second later as water shot straight to his nostrils, making him sneeze and cough, stumbling over the chair in the process with a mighty crash. Smooth move.

"Malfoy?" He heard frantic footsteps and Hermione's voice approach, turning just in time to see her honey-eyes look him over with worry. She hurried forward and took in his slumped form, noticing the instrument in his right hand and the slight dampness of his face. She let out a chuckle.

"What the hell, woman?" Draco said, looking up at her with his face scrunched up as he tried to regulate his breathing. She waved her hand dismissively and pulled him to his feet, taking the instrument and righting the mess with a wave of her wand, turning to him with a slight grin.

"Whar the hell are you doing here?" Hermione asked in mock-seriousness, like a mother reprimanding a child, "You really are quite a prat, you know? Strutting about like you own the place."

"Hey, it's not my fault you have weird, muggle contraptions here. I mean, seriously, this is some creepy shit." He gestured towards the chair. Hermione snickered and shook her head in disbelief; we're in the middle of a war, and Draco sodding Malfoy is curious about a dental chair.

"My parents are dentists." Hermione said, Draco simply gave her a confuseed look, "They're like doctors, I mean, like Healers that take care of people's teeth. That chair's used for the patients; they sit on it and let my parents examine their teeth. This—" Hermione picked up the instrument Draco's been kidding with, making the blonde cringe, "—is used to clean the teeth after whatever mum and dad did to them. It's kinda fun to watch really."

"I never thought muggles could be more barbaric. I will never make myself sit on that thing and let anyone fiddle with my teeth." Draco said, stepping away from the chair. Hermione snorted, "That's the same reaction we get from five-year olds when they come for check-ups. Although, I could say you're a bit better off; with them it's less talking, more bawling."

"Are you saying that I behave like a five-year old?"

"Oh no! You're a very grown-up man; being afraid of a dental chair is a very grown up thing to feel." Hermione said, laughing. Draco blinked at the foreign sound, mesmerized with hearing something so pure. It's not that he haven't heard laughter before, he had, but not like this. Most of what he's heard were forced, fake; just designed to get on his good side. But with her, it's different; it felt all warm and fuzzy in his ear.

Warm and fuzzy? He's turning into a bloody Hufflepuff.

He was pulled back from his musings with a soft cough, looking back at Hermione and noticing her shifting her weight from one foot to the other. He looked away and smoothed a hand through his hair, "What now?"

"W-well, I have to try and contact Harry and Ron, but I don't know how. Owls will be far too risky, and sending a Patronus would be a dead giveaway, and I can't very well apparate to where they are. Not with you anyway." She said, pulling out a pouch from her waistband and reaching in, her whole arm disappearing in the little, enchanted bag, her face contorted with concentration."

"That's a big hole there." Draco smirked, earning a dark look from Hermione before she fished out his wand and handed it to him. He took it reluctantly, "Why are you giving me this?"

"I can't leave you here unarmed, can I" She said, closing the bag and placing it back on her waistband.

"You're going to leave?" He asked. Hermione raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Yes. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like; you and I are the only secret-keepers of this place now. I won't be back; you'll be safe here." She said. Hermione didn't know why she's letting Draco stay, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Draco stood, staring at her for a few seconds before doing something he knew he would regret for a million years. Or maybe not. All he knew is that for now, he was terrified of being alone.

He pulled Hermione in a hug.

She stood, stiff, as Draco held her in his arms, her mind going berserk in shock. She tried to move him away, tugging at the back of his shirt, but he just held on tighter, burrowing his face in the mane of her hair. She reluctantly wrapped her arms around his waist and settled her hands on his back, her heart thumping faster as her cheek came in contact with his collarbone. They stayed like that for what seemed an eternity but Hermione felt something in him that she knew he can't say; hurt. Draco pulled back and gazed into her brown eyes, making her shudder as she looked deeper at the intensity of his gaze, her insides clashing in an indefinite war of emotions, matching the flicker of fear, grief, and pain that were dancing around inside the blond's stormy greys. She opened her mouth to speak, but he spoke first, his voice incredulously raspy and shaky.

"Please stay." He said, making her gasp in surprise. Did she hear right? Draco Malfoy, just told, no, pleaded her to stay. They broke away in awkward silence, Hermione's face turning beet-red as she looked at Draco, his eyes still that stormy gray; unyielding.

"Why?" She managed to utter, surprised at the croakiness of her voice. She was unsure of what was happening, but she understood the weight he was holding. There was a slight sag in his shoulders and she noticed the gauntness in his features she hadn't had accustomed to in seeing on the Malfoy heir's face, completely foreign from what she knew of the man.

"I just...I don't have anywhere else to go." He said, the realization of his predicament, striking him anew when he said them aloud. Hermione looked at him with pity, the look not unnoticed by Draco, who found himself clenching his wand tightly in his fist, tearing his gaze away from her eyes. He hated pity; he disliked being someone that can induce pity from people. He hated being weak and helpless, yet there he was, baring his emotions to a person who hated him at school and the worse thing is, he didn't know why. All he knew is that he was tired; he needed to find a pillar to support him, anything, even her. He had nothing to lose either way.

"I really have to go." Hermione said, taking a step back, her voice firm and final. A nagging feeling in her heart wanted to stay and console him, but she knew staying just would delay the inevitable. She really needed to check up on Harry and Ron; if she knew they're alright then maybe, just maybe, she'd find it in her to go back.

Hermione suddenly had an idea. She pulled her pouch and rummaged inside, taking out two, gold coins. With a tap of her wand, the coins turned to rings, and she handed one to Draco. He looked at the ring curiously until she spoke, "They've been enchanted with a variation of the Protean charm. If anything happens, just grip it and call my name, I'll know where to find you."

Draco slid the ring on his finger and looked at her, "I won't be staying here." He said as Hermione turned to leave, her shoulders stiffening, "I don't expect you to." She said, turning back at him and offering a soft smile, "I have a hunch that you'll stay anyway." She turned around and walked out of the main door, a pop was heard a few seconds later; the sound of Disapparition.

Draco stood, rooted on the spot as he thumbed the ring on his forefinger, feeling the place grow cold. He sighed and continued to roam around the house, stopping by the kitchen. He walked in and slumped on a stool, looking around the unfamiliar, muggle appliances. He heard his stomach growl, remembering that the last meal he ate was when they were camping in the forest a last night. Great, how on Earth will he feed himself now?

Hermione appeared on the doorstep of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and knocked softly on the door. It creaked open on the third knock, making Hermione pull out her wand. She stepped inside carefully, casting a quick _Muffiliato_ charm on her feet and walked on. It was eerily silent, too silent for her tastes as she hastily moved up the stairs, silently pushing doors open and looking inside, dread slowly creeping up her guts. She reached the last floor and opened the last room, seeing the same scenario as the others; empty. The rooms were all empty, no clothing, anything that might particularly belong to the Order, nothing left, not even Kreacher. There was no sign of forced entry. She slid to the floor and breathed in a quick staccato, fighting to pull down panic. The dust on everything told her that they've been gone for a good few days, maybe right before Draco and her got out of the forest. But why? Why will they leave without informing her? And where can they possibly go? Her mind doubtly set on Hogwarts, but figured there was nowhere else she can think of going to. She thought about the other safe houses, but then the thought of not even knowing where they were depressed her so she stood up and gathered her bearings and started to go down the stairs. Wasting no time, she went out and apparated to the edge of the forbidden forest, wallking briskly to the grounds. The castle lights were on and Hermione can't help but feel a bit elated; maybe they reclaimed Hogwarts after all. But her glee was met with horror when she felt a wand trained at the back of her neck.

She felt herself instinctively clutch for her golden ring.

End of Chapter

Oooh cliffeh, but it's not a major cliffy tho...but still a cliffy

Okay I'm being hopelessly incoherent but it's because I just read and finished Bex-chan's Hunted...and seriously i was blown. Away. Currently on chapter 36 of Isolation and damn it if I didn't cry on the earlier chapters. Read HER WORKS! THEY'RE BLOODY FANTASTIC!

If you guys didn't know, I'm more of a reader than a writer, (so please excuse any grammatical errors you would read on my works,.,my first language isn't english after all) although I do enjoy writing every now and then when the reading materials begin to go low, so every chapter i finish I'm going to recommend some of the greatest fanfics (dramione of course) I ever read here, so Bex-chan's Isolation and Hunted are the first I will recommend...wait I have to recommend three, so throw in Gravity; it's a damn good story please read it.

I'm rambling so I'll leave you guys to your devices, please don't forget to review, I'd appreciate it and let me know who you think got Hermione at wand-point eh? It's gonna be exciting to guess.

Ciao~

-SIlverlining


	4. Betrayal

Hi! Thanks so much to all of you gracing this fanfic. If you're reading this now, then I might have found the courage to post this chapter that just might make you hate or love me. I'm hoping for the latter. Anyway I'll leave you guys to decide on that and here we are with another slice of my story :D

Thank you to the lovely dears who favorited/alerted/and reviewed my story I'll share Draco with you once I managed to kidnap him from Queen Rowling's mind

Again this work is not beta'ed but I'll be rereading from time to time and correct any spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes here and there. I'd appreciate it if you guys joined in on the hunt for errors :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter...although I really hope I get Draco and his rocketship for christmas *nudge nudge, wink wink*

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Betrayal<p>

"Drop your wand." The man behind her said, his voice familiar. She made no move, seemingly agitating her captor, "I said drop your wand!" A hand snatched her wand away and she found herself being prodded to walk. Hermione reluctantly obliged, craning her neck to see, in her surprise, Neville Longbottom's eyes looking back at her. Neville's frown faltered when he recognized her but hardened in anger more than ever, prodding her violently with his wand. 

"Ouch! Neville it's me!" Hermione gasped, stumbling over a fallen log. She stood up and turned around, facing him, utterly perplexed, "I'm Hermione; I modified my parent's memories, they're currently in Australia, my middle name is Jean, and my Patronus is an otter." Hermione finished, smiling weakly but then frowned when Neville's expression turned worse, "Neville, wha – " 

"_Stupefy_!" Neville bellowed, sending a jet of red light towards her, which she conveniently dodged, "What the hell, Neville?" 

"You traitor!" Neville growled, aiming his wand at her, "Because of you, Luna's dead!" He shouted, aiming another jinx at Hermione, missing a few inches and landing on a tree instead, incinerating it, "How could you, Hermione?" 

"What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean!" Hermione shrieked, running towards Neville and tackling him, taking advantage of his being caught off guard to retrieve her wand. She stood up and pointed it at him, "What are you talking about?" 

"You told them where Grimmauld Place is. We were evacuating the house to set everyone at Hogwarts when the Death Eaters cornered us in Surrey. They ambushed us and they killed...they killed Luna." Neville spat, standing up and pointed his wand at her, "How could you, Hermione? Right after we reclaimed Hogwarts Ron and Harry decided they'd pick you up, but this happened. You happened. Be thankful I was not in Surrey when you..." Hermione was shaking her head when Neville's voice faltered. This is insane. 

"N-no! I don't know what you're talking about!" Hermione said, her mind blowing up a fuse as she tried to absorb everything. Her legs acted on their own as she ran, purely on instinct when Neville sent a fresh curse on her way, dodging the different colored lights. She sent some jinxes back as well, closing her eyes as she heard a sickening crack; evidence that her last Flipendo found its mark. She stopped running and gasped for breath, clutching at a tree trunk for support. She felt her eyes sting as a single tear found its way down her cheek, a hunch telling her not to go back. With shaking hands, she tried to conjure a Patronus, managing only a silvery wisp of smoke with the current state of shock she's in. She slumped to the ground, allowing her heartbeat to slow down while her tears flowed freely, tracing a trail on her face as she waited for her trembling to subside. With nervous gulps of air, she hoisted herself up on her feet and shakingly moved to the apparition point, clearing her mind long enough to Disapparate without splinching herself.

* * *

><p>Draco finally managed to find where the stupid muggles kept their food, and it took him a lot of willpower not to stay near the open refrigerator, fascinated at the pleasant coolness it generated. He reached for a package of green apples and contentedly sliced some with his wand, considering there was really no other choice for him to cook without waving his wand at those unfamiliar muggle contraptions and risk blowing everything up in smithereens, including himself. He was just putting the pieces in a plate when the ring went hot, making him wince. He looked at it cautiously but then his heart skipped a beat when he remembered what it was for. He was sure Hermione was in trouble, but then again, how was he supposed to find her? He was just thinking about his options when he heard a sharp, cracking sound in the living room. He sprinted off, and sure enough, it was Hermione, looking badly shaken; her clothes were covered in dried leaves and twigs, the hem of her jeans covered in mud. Her head shot up at the sound of his footsteps, and Draco noticed that her eyes were bloodshot and watery, her uneven breaths coming out in gasps. Merlin, was she hyperventilating? <p>

He quickly walked over to her and helped her get up, seating her on the couch. Her hand was cold and shaking, clamped around his own in a death grip, making him wince. He put his free arm around her shoulders gently, a bit awkwardly, as he eyed her other hand, gripping the wand tightly he figured it might snap, "What happened, Hermione?" 

The sound of her name brought Hermione back from her shock as she looked at Draco's inquisitive eyes. A tear rolled down from her eye as she opened her mouth to speak, her efforts resulting in a sound resembling a cross between a squeak and a grunt. She felt herself calm down as she looked deeper in his stormy greys, watching the specks of quicksilver shimmer, making her thoughts collect themselves and play in her head in a more manageable way. Hermione couldn't believe what just happened; why did Neville call her a traitor? Did he say Luna's dead? What was going on? She found herself utterly lost and helpless, leaning on Draco's shoulder, her face buried in his neck as she let soft sobs escape her lips. It was just too much, her being away from her friends and then coming back to find out that they branded her as is. It's just so confusing, so unnatural. And the question is, why? 

Draco pried his hand away from hers and adjusted to pull her into a hug, puzzled and confused, but still managing to offer her any sort of comfort. He didn't know why he panicked when he saw Hermione on the floor, looking as if she'd been hit by a bludger without her knowing, but he knew something inside him disliked the way she was then. Hermione's breathing slowed down, now coming to deep, steady breaths, her grip on Draco's shirt slackening. Her head bobbed down a few moments later, and Draco tilted her head up just to see if she was indeed, asleep. He sighed and debated against levitating her to her room, or carrying her there, but his noble side won as he slid an arm under her legs and another scooping her back, standing up and carrying her out of the living room and up the stairs. Draco pushed open the door of her room with his foot and walked towards the bed, slowly settling her on it. He pulled the blanket from under her and replaced it over her body, tucking the ends below her feet. He pulled the chair against her dresser and repositioned it beside the bed, sitting on it and staring at her troubled face. Draco can't help but frown; what happened? What did Potty and Weaselbee do this time? 

Pushing these thoughts aside, he found himself mesmerized by the way her face looked; so peaceful yet he knew the war waging inside her head as her features sometimes scrunched up as she had a vivid dream. He brushed away stray strands of hair from her face, noticing the dirt that powdered it and muttered a quick scourgify to remove the traces. He pulled back the covers and did the same with her clothes, picking a leaf from her hair that he knew he saw before. His face contorted with thought as he eyed the leaf, thinking of only one place they could grow, in England anyway. Then why would she go there? He was sure that place was swarming with Death Eaters. She's not exactly stupid, isn't she? Unless Pothead and his gang of chickens managed to salvage it, then that's the only logical way she'd be thinking of going there. But then if they did reclaim Hogwarts then why would she come back, looking harassed nonetheless. He ran a hand through his hair and his stomach grumbled. Remembering the plate of apples, he summoned them and started to eat, watching as Hermione finally succumbed to a real, peaceful sleep. 

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. She frowned; why was she in her room? She propped herself up on her elbow and felt someone stir on her left. Hermione raised an eyebrow at the blond-haired boy, hunched over the side of her bed, seated at a chair, with his head resting on his crossed arms and fast asleep. She turned to look at the window and was surprised at the dark sky; how long was she out? She froze as she remembered why she was back in the first place, a pang of dread hitting her like a wave, making her whimper. She channeled her inner Gryffindor as Draco stretched and yawned, opening a bleary eye and giving her an amused look. She can't help but smile. 

"How are you?" Draco asked, taking her aback. She blinked back her surprise at his kind gesture before answering, "Fine, I guess. Well not really." She mumbled, clearing her throat, "Er, what time is it?" 

"It's eight in the evening. You've been out for a while." Draco replied, scooting closer to the bed, "What happened? Did you see Potty and Weasel?" 

"Don't call them that!" She snapped getting out of bed. Draco stood up and walked beside her, Hermione looked at him incredulously, "What? 

"You're acting strange, Malfoy." She said, walking towards the door, which Draco opened for her. He followed her down the stairs towards the kitchen, watching as she rummaged inside the refrigerator, "Did you take my apples?" 

"Yeah, I was kinda hungry. That cooling thing is great, by the way. It has snow inside that upper door too." Draco said, looking please with himself for Merlin knows what. She shrugged and pulled out some meat from the freezer and thawed it with her wand, grabbing a couple of veggies for good measure. She set them on the countertop then took a knife and a chopping board, putting them next to the ingredients before getting a large pot. She filled the pot with some water and set it on the stove. Draco watched in awe as Hermione chopped and bustled around the countertop, adding a little of each every now and then in the pot, "What are you doing?" 

"I'm cooking, dimwit." She said, murmuring the last word as she slid chopped onions down the pot and put the lid on, turning the heat at maximum to let everything boil, "Or would you rather starve?" 

"Cooking? Oh yeah, you don't have house-elves." Draco added as an afterthought, earning a dark glare from Hermione, "I don't mean that as a bad thing though. I'm just a bit impressed. Just a bit though." 

"And why is that, may I ask, Your Highness?" Hermione mocked, looking at him. She felt her cheeks redden; Draco was looking at her in a funny way, more on borderline creepy if any other normal person did it, but the Draco was anything but normal. 

"Well, I'm quite surprised that you can use all of these contraptions without setting fire to the damn house. Not that I did, though it was very nearly so." He quickly added, seeing Hermione's horrified expression, "It kinda made me than that I'm not muggle-born. It's much easier handling things with magic." 

"I supposed you're right, it is easier. But there's something satisfying about doing something with your bare hands; it makes normal things a bit more special, just because you knew you spent time and energy in doing it." Hermione replied, adding salt and pepper into the briskly simmering stew, stirring it before adding the meat. Draco nodded in response and moved forward to sit on one of the stools, next to Hermione. They sat together in silence, a little surprised that they've just had a decent conversation. Draco looked on as Hermione fiddled with the stove, stirring the contents in the pot every now and then, letting him get a waft of the rich aroma of spices in whatever she was cooking before setting the lid back and flicking her wand to make the chopping board, knife, and a few dishes clean themselves at the sink. Draco raised an eyebrow bemusedly and Hermione huffed in reply, "I hate washing dishes." 

Draco let out a laugh, rich with mirth, which startled the young brunette as she stared at him. The sound was very fresh, beautiful, smooth and genuine. He gasped and settled to short chortles, his gray eyes twinkling, "You never fail to amuse me, Granger." 

"I suppose that's a good thing?" Hermione asked and Draco nodded, his features changing rapidly, "You never answered my question though; what happened to you?" He asked. Hermione took a deep breath and went to check on the stew before sitting back next to him, fixing her eyes on the countertop, "I went to where Harry and the others should have been, but found it empty so I thought something was up. I checked every room with no luck, but it seemed strange because there was no sign of forced entry. So I went to the only place I thought they can go to. I was right; they reclaimed Hogwarts" She began, "I apparated to the Forbidden Forest and ran across Neville. But he attacked me." 

"Why would Longbottom do that?" Draco exclaimed, flabbergasted. Hermione put up a hand to let her continue, "He told me I was a traitor, which is completely bonkers." Hermione finished, feeling a bit queasy. She stood up and busied herself with the pot, ladling some of the contents in bowls, then carried them to the countertop. She put down the bowls and got a loaf of bread from the pantry as Draco accepted his meal in silence, thinking about what she just said; he was convinced now that her friends really have gone completely mental. 

"I think we should go back to Hogwarts. But then straight to Potter." Draco finally said after a couple of minutes, spooning some food and putting it in his mouth, "There might be something we can tell them that they can believe so that any thoughts about you being a traitor will disappear." He continued. Hermione bit her lip and sighed, taking a bite from the slice of bread, "I was thinking the same thing. But I won't take you." 

"Well you have to deal with it 'cause I sure as hell won't let you go alone." Draco said, looking up at her, a serious look on his face, "What if they catch you off guard again? You have to take me." 

"That would only make me look worse; you're not exactly on our side before, aren't you? And if they see you with me, it'll only give them more reason to believe that I am a traitor." Hermione retorted, finishing her food and getting off the stool. Draco hastily shoveled the last spoonfuls in his mouth and summoned a glass of water before following Hermione out of the kitchen. He grabbed her arm and turned her around, "Look, I know what you're getting at, but the point is as long as there's doubt around you, you're fighting alone; you're not considering fighting for You-Know-Who, are you?" Hermione shook her head at the words, "See? So basically, right now, I'm your only ally. For the brightest witch of our age, you're pretty daft." He said, drinking the water and setting the glass down at a small table in the hallway, "Look, as much as I don't like going to Potter for help, you have no choice. And we certainly aren't solving anything sitting around here doing nothing." 

Hermione looked at him in awe; was he genuinely worried? She crossed her arms and studied his expression, finding nothing that looked like sarcasm and deceit, "Why are you doing this? You hated me since first year, why the sudden change?" 

"I don't hate you." Draco said, making Hermione raise an eyebrow in disbelief, "I've been taught to hate muggle-borns since I was born, but you, you're just infuriatingly against everything I thought muggle-borns were, so it kinda confused itself with the fun of tormenting you; just to prove to myself that you're not perfect." He licked his lips in apprehension and sighed, "Look, I'm sorry for being such a prat, but then again, I don't have much of a choice. The Dark Lord will kill my family if I showed anything more than contempt with you lot." 

"So why change now?" Hermione asked, "Aren't you worried about your family now?" 

"I have no one now, not if you count my father, which I don't" Draco murmured, running a shaky hand through his hair, a habit he did when he was nervous or stressed, "He killed my mother. I was running away from them because he killed my mother. That's why I have nowhere else to go." 

Hermione gasped and gazed up to his eyes; the often quicksilver now cloudy and stoic, full of hurt and anger. She stepped forward and took his shaking hands, giving him a firm look of comfort before pulling him for a hug, just as she did whenever Harry or Ron felt unsure. Draco wrapped his arms around her lithe form, surprisingly not bothered at all that he told her about his mother, quite the contrary, even a bit relieved. It was for the first time in his life that he felt someone, other than his mother, cared and he liked it. He found himself a little jealous of Harry and Ron for having her as a friend, and regretting that he didn't act civil with her during Hogwarts. If only he did, maybe he'd be better off than now. Maybe they'd find a way to protect him and his mom. Maybe they'd let him protect Hermione as well. 

He never knew her small form had so much strength. 

"It's okay, everything's going to be fine." Hermione said, not believing a single word that escaped her lips, although she figured that it'll help anyway. She pulled him closer, her mind becoming a cacophony of warring emotions; she's standing here, with the boy she practically hated all her life, relative to the monster that carved that obscene word on her arm yet she still felt safe with him even though she knew she shouldn't have been. Hermione thought that she was going crazy when she found herself pushing Draco away for a moment, her honey-colored orbs seeking refuge in his stormy, silver ones and they felt their hearts pull, throbbing in a synchronized beat, as if finishing each other's songs. It seemed an eternity when moments later, she leaned forward, up to meet his waiting lips, her mind going blank at the taste of his soft lips on hers. 

Apples and cinnamon. 

Draco found a tear slip down his cheek as he closed his eyes and pulled Hermione's waist flush to his; the desire to just hold her close empowering his kisses. His mind melted to goo as Hermione raised her hands to bury them in his soft hair, pushing his head closer and angling her head to deepen the kiss. It was pure bliss; and she found herself getting lost in his scent, her pent up emotions bubbling up in her throat as he felt his tongue lick at her lips, letting him gain entrance, meeting his movements with her own tongue. A gurgle of sobs bubbled from both their throats as they broke away, panting and choking in grief, standing there and holding each other as they waited for their sobs to go away. Both of them felt so very much alone; so at loss at what to do as they desperately clung to each other, afraid of what will happen if either of them let go. A few minutes later, their tears came to a stop and they found themselves just smiling, their eyes conveying much more that words could ever say. They don't know what it is but for now it is something good, something they can hold on to, whatever happens. 

"I'm coming with you." Draco said gently, and Hermione just nodded in reply. They walked towards the front door, never letting their hands fall apart as they exited and apparated to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p>They landed with a crunch on the forest floor, the castle of Hogwarts towering over them, the lights in the windows flickering almost sickeningly peacefully. They cautiously walked, hiding behind trees, their wands ready. Hermione spotted a person, standing a couple of feet away and she quietly murmured a petrifying jinx, watching as the person fell down with a thud. They moved quickly, gently turning the person over, coming face to face with a wide-eyed Ginny Weasley. <p>

"Ginny it's me. I'll lift the curse but please, listen to me, even just for a few minutes." Hermione whispered as Ginny's eyes flickered from her to Draco, her pupils dilating and sharpening. Hermione lifted the curse from her head to neck, the red-head started to open her mouth. 

"Hermione! I know! Harry's been acting strange though; I can't get him to believe me you didn't do it, it's kinda hard since most of them saw you with the Death Eaters. I just knew it wasn't you." Ginny gasped. Hermione raise the curse from her body and helped her sit up, "Why are you with Malfoy?" 

"It's a long story but he's harmless. Anyway, what do you mean they saw me with the Death Eaters?" Hermione asked. 

"Well, after we reclaimed Hogwarts, Grimmauld Place was cleared out, then we proceeded to evacuate the other safe houses as well after a week. When we met at the apparition point in Surrey, we were ambushed but we managed to unmask a Death Eater before we retreated. It was you, well someone that looked like you anyway. Apparently, when we told Harry, he didn't believe at first so they apparated to your tent, but there were Death Eaters there…that's when we lost Luna." Ginny finished, her lip quivering, "Oh Hermione, I'm so glad I found you. Harry and Ron are going ballistic because they thought you changed sides, but now that you're here." She stopped, looking over at the path behind her. She stood up and grabbed her wand, ushering Hermione and Draco behind a nearby tree, "Don't say a word, I'll meet you here later; I'll come and find you. I'll talk to Ron and Harry first." Hermione nodded as Ginny sprinted away to the sound and disappeared. 

End of Chapter

* * *

><p>Oh I am so glad I finally got this chapter off my head. It was bugging me a whole week, just screaming for out…so I let it out and I hope you guys don't hate me too much with where the story's going…although I'm still building the plot bit by bit.<p>

Please please please review!~ I'll love you to bits

Thanks for reading!

-Silverlining


	5. Ignorance

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter! . wish I owned Draco though

A/N at the end! please read it!

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Ignorance<p>

"Are you sure we can trust her? What if she just sic Potter and the rest of the Weasels on us?" Draco said, standing in front of Hermione behind the large tree.

"Well, we don't have much of a choice, do we?" She said, getting out her wand, "_Expecto Patronum._" She chanted, expecting to see her Patronus (no pun intended). A wisp of smoke answered her call, "Damn it."

"Feeling down?" Draco sneered, sitting down next to her. Hermione threw him a contemptuous look before trying again, but to no avail, "Can't you think of a happy thought?"

"It's difficult since we're not exactly happy, are we?" She huffed, leaning onto the tree and sighing, "I'm sure you can't"

"Draco pulled out his wand and spoke, a silver dragon shooting out of his wand, rearing its head before disappearing. He shot a smug look at Hermione, who frowned. He shrugged and they fell into a comfortable silence.

"You know, I was thinking of you." Draco murmured after a few minutes, "The day I saw you at the Yule Ball… you were just." He trailed off, looking at Hermione. She looked at him as well, her mouth opened slightly, not knowing what to say. Draco looked away, clearing his throat and mumbling under his breath; why did he have to open his big mouth?

"Er…right." Hermione coughed, standing up and looking around for any sign of Ginny, rubbing her hands together as the air grew steadily chilly, "I hope she talks some sense into them; I want to know how they thought it was me. If the Death Eaters used Polyjuice potion, then Harry and Ron would know, and they would ask for identification questions. If they believed that it was me, then somehow they knew what my answers are." She said.

"But weaselette said Potter didn't see for himself if it is you that those stupid gits saw in Surrey. How can they assume anyway that you've sided with You-Know-Who if he only based it when he saw the Death Eaters at your tent. Couldn't they think you've been captured first?"

"Harry could've just asked to view the memories of those who saw. They have Hogwarts now; they could easily make use of the Pensieve in the Headmaster's office. That would explain it." Hermione answered, thinking deeply, "But how could someone using Polyjuice potion know what I would answer to those questions? Unless someone has been spying on us…which is absurd…" She mused. As minutes ticked by, Hermione grew weary, wondering if it was really safe for them to be where they are. She looked up at Hogwarts and frowned, watching as lights began to flicker and twinkle along the banisters. A curse whizzed past her as she realized what was going on. At the distance, Ginny was running towards them, her wand aloft.

"Hermione! Run! Run! I'll mislead them!" Ginny said as she caught up with them. Hermione stood, rooted on the spot as she felt Draco pulling her into a run, stumbling on a protruding tree root.

"Come, Hermione! Move!" Draco bellowed, pulling her on her feet. A second curse grazed her shoulder just as they heard Ginny shout, beckoning the other students to a wrong direction. With the pain bringing her back to her senses, Hermione wobbled back to her feet, following the blonde into a clump of trees and bushes. She felt something cold run from her head to her toes, the effects of a Disillusionment charm, as they stood behind a tree, waiting.

They labored their breathing to slow down as a horde of students stomped past them, searching the area they had just been in. They were still a few yards away from the apparition point and they dared not move; even if they're camouflaged, it wouldn't do good if they were seen in bright moonlight. Hermione trembled in Draco's arms, the feeling of hopelessness overpowering her. She resolved to just let them catch her and wriggled free of Draco's grasp.

"Let them see me, then get out of here." Hermione said.

"You're off your rocker, Granger, I am not leaving here without you." Draco hissed, pulling back her wrist, "They'll never let you go if you get caught."

"I'm sure if I can just talk to Harry, he'll see the truth." She said, trying to wrench her hand free from Draco's tightened hold, making her wince, "You're not going anywhere, Granger."

"Let me go or I'll scream, and we'd both be caught." Hermione said. Draco pulled her behind another tree as a student pushed past their way, thanking the darkness and the Disillusionment charm for their safety. He gave Hermione a hard look before taking out his wand, casting a non-verbal _Silencio_ before Hermione can open her mouth to scream.

A sudden crunch of twigs and forest debris made Hermione and Draco stand still, looking warily at the place where they heard the noise, their wands aloft. The pale face of Ginny Weasley greeted them moments later, earning sighs of relief from them both.

"This is bad, Hermione. Neville heard me talking to Ron and Harry and assumed I'm a traitor too. Harry said I should go with you two first until he sorts things out. The students are going mental; most of them listen to Neville more than to Harry… Maybe it's because they were under his lead in most parts of the war." Ginny said, panting, "Anyway, they obviously don't trust Malfoy but they want to talk to you as soon as possible, they gave me something that can help you talk to them once we get to a safer place." The red-head gave Hermione a small parcel, who placed it in her beaded bag, before looking around to check if the coast is clear; most of the lights they saw were now retreating back to the castle, so they prepared to go to the apparition point.

"Good thing you showed up, Red, Granger here wanted to surrender herself to the cavalry." Draco said, earning a smack upside the head from the brunette, "Ow!"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but then rolled her eyes as she lifted the silencing charm, "You're such a prat."

"Shh!" Ginny said, listening intently. A whizzing sound reached their ears as they looked back towards the castle, a large light illuminating their faces. Booming thunder followed as the light permeated through the sky from the top of the Astronomy tower, eliciting a gasp from Ginny.

"No! No, we have to run!" She exclaimed, just as the heavens began to part. A silvery, winged creature swooped down from the hole in the sky, looking at them with a roar. Hermione felt her legs jerk as she gave way to a run, Draco dragging her with him.

"What the hell is that?" Hermione shrieked as they dodged balls of light that singed the earth behind them, "Ginny! What is that?"

"Helga Hufflepuff's pet wyvern." Ginny said, sprinting towards the edge of the forest, not bothering shooting spells at the creature, which Draco was currently doing, "Don't; it absorbs spells. I'll explain everything later." She said, stopping, her hand extended, "Now, Hermione!"

"Now!" Ginny said as the three of them connected hands, Hermione Disapparating them off the grounds just as the wyvern sent a ball of light on the spot they were in. 

* * *

><p>They reappeared In front of Hermione's house, quickly entering through the door and slumping on the floor, their bodies shaking. Hermione checked her shoulder and mended the wounds, before checking Draco and Ginny if they got hurt. She stood up and proceeded to the living room, collapsing on the couch and closing her eyes, willing her head to stop throbbing. Draco and Ginny followed her moments later, both looking badly shaken as they took the seats beside her.<p>

"So, care explaining how they got the bloody monster?" Draco asked, looking at Ginny beside Hermione, "What was that again?"

"A Wyvern, they're related to dragons… Like I said, it's Hufflepuff's, we found it petrified in the forbidden forest; looked like Slytherin isn't the only one with a fetish for freaky pets." Ginny said, her face turning paler than It can be, "Which brings me to the thing Harry wants to ask you Hermione; remember why You-Know-Who wanted Hogwarts? He was thinking that maybe they knew about these creatures. He also thinks that maybe Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had these pets too, considering Hufflepuff and Slytherin did. Open the mirror I gave you, they might be able to talk to you now."

With the new information still sinking in her mind, Hermione fumbled around her beaded bag to retrieve the parcel and unwrap the mirror within. She recognized it as the same type of mirror Sirius gave Harry, "Harry?"

The mirror shimmered for a moment before a familiar man with unruly, black hair and green, bespectacled eyes came into focus, a Red-haired man behind him, both looking older and weary, "Hermione, thank god…We knew it couldn't have been you. Neville's acting like a git, we don't have much time. Listen – "

"No, Harry James Potter, you listen to me this time. I let you and Ron do what you have to do so now you will do what I want. I don't care if you're not the ones who set that wyvern on us but listen to me; something is not right, check Neville; maybe they replaced him too. Ginny's safe here, don't worry."

"Yeah! I am!" Ginny said, from behind Hermione, waving at them, "Hello!"

"Gin, is Malfoy there? I need to talk to him." Harry said, earning furtive glances from Ginny and Hermione before they handed the mirror to Draco, who sneered at the image of his two schoolmates, "Hey Potter, you look like shit."

"Save the smarminess for later, ferret, we want to ask you a question." Harry said, shooting a look at Ron whose face was turning bright red with anger, "What are you doing with Hermione?"

"I'm not doing anything Potter. She was just at the right place, at the right time." Draco said, instinctively grasping Hermione's hand, though Harry and Ron didn't see it, since they only have a view of their face because of the mirror's small surface, "And I'm not going to hurt her, if that's what you're getting at."

"You better not. But I think Hermione can handle you anyway if you ever tried something funny." Harry said, giving him a small nod, much to the annoyance of Ron. Hermione reclaimed the mirror with her other hand, "Was that really necessary? Listen, Harry, I need to gain access to the Hogwarts library, although I highly doubt it, there must be something about ancient monsters there. I'm going to have a look and check if there's anything useful."

"About that, we really don't have control over Hogwarts anymore. You see, when I said Neville's acting funny, I meant he's really nuts; all of them are, it's like they're them but with different perspectives." Harry said, looking nervously at a closed door behind them before speaking, "We're gonna find out the deal here, but I'm sorry Hermione, we can't let you go in here, it's too dangerous."

"Dangerous? When on Earth have you ever stopped me from going anywhere because it's dangerous?" Hermione fumed, "Look, I need to get to the library, tell me the shifts of night patrols or whatever it is you guys are doing there so I can avoid people. I'll be in and out of there in a flash, I promise."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later Hermione with details of the night watch. Be careful and just, don't leave yet and do something drastic. If I'm not contacting you before dawn tomorrow then it means we're in trouble, okay?" Harry said as banging knocks can be heard from the door, "Bye Hermione, take care."

"You too!" Hermione said as the surface of the mirror glistened and became dark. Hermione sighed and palmed her face, setting the mirror down on the coffee table then standing up, "I'm taking a shower." She mumbled, before sprinting up the stairs. 

* * *

><p>"Malfoy, how did you really find Hermione?" Ginny asked after a couple of minutes, looking at the pale boy beside her, absentmindedly fiddling with the linings of her robes, "How on Earth did you convince her to take you in?"<p>

"Must be my charms.." Draco mused, lifting his feet on the coffee table and reclining on the sofa, "I won't bite you, Red, so don't go all weasel on me. "

"Are you always a git?"

"Are you always this nosey?"

"You're so insufferable." Ginny said, stomping out of the living room, leaving Draco grinning. He waited a few minutes before going to the kitchen, finding Hermione, with her hair glistening with bath-fresh dew, her hand waving her wand all over it with a simple drying charm, and Ginny talking in hushed tones, her face full of worry. The younger girl pursed her lips and stopped talking at the sight of him in the hallway, standing from the table to check if there was something they can eat. Hermione turned around and gave him a small nod before going back at the task at hand, cursing now and then when her other hand gets in knots in her hair, gently prying them apart so they won't break.

"That's a lost cause, Granger. I don't even know why you bother being civil with that hair of yours. If I had hair like that, I would stay bald for the rest of my life." Draco said, although not meaning any of it, earning a murderous look from Hermione. Ginny turned back to the table, "Hermione, there's no food left."

"We have an emergency stock in the basement Gin, look in there; you can find lots of canned food." Hermione replied, watching as Ginny retreated out of the room to look for the basement. Draco moved towards the table and sat beside Hermione, taking her free hand, "Are you okay?"

"Grand." Hermione sighed, looking at their entwined hands. A sudden bout of confusion overcame her, watching as Draco began to caress his thumb over her palm, looking up to find his grey eyes staring back at her. She looked away and retrieved her hand, putting her wand back in her belt before clearing her throat, "You should stop that."

"Stop what?" Draco asked, his voice a little raspy with exhaustion. The last couple of hours' toil finally caught up with him, making his eyelids feel heavier.

"Whatever you're doing with me. It's not funny, Malfoy, I am not like your bunch of girls at school. I don't want extra headache atop all of this." Hermione mumbled, looking anywhere but at him. Draco ran a hand through his hair, "I didn't say you're like them. I know you're not. Hermione."

"You won't like me like that. We're not supposed to." Hermione said, although her words lacked conviction. She felt a slight pull at her heart when Draco reached out for her hand again, "And why is that?"

"Because we're different."

"Because I'm prejudiced, selfish, cruel, a bully at school, the son of a Death Eater." Draco said, letting her hand go and touching her face, making her look at him, "If you think like that, then maybe we really aren't supposed to. But what's to say I won't like you?"

"You won't, I'm sure of it." She said, frozen on the spot as Draco neared, his face a mere inches from hers, "Oh, but I think I will."

"What the hell?" They pulled apart at the sound of a third voice, looking at Ginny, Hermione's face bright red. Draco sighed exasperatedly and stood up, walking past the red-head without a word and disappearing upstairs. Ginny hurried forward and deposited the many cans of food from her arms onto the kitchen table, "Hermione, please don't tell me you and that git just kissed."

"No we didn't! We we're just…well what have you got?" Hermione stuttered, fussing nervously at the cans of food, "Hmm, not bad Gin, I thought you wouldn't be familiar with these kinds of stuff."

"Hermione, this is serious, you can't love him." Ginny said in a deadpan voice. Hermione cursed inwardly, wondering why her only girl best friend had to be so direct. She grabbed a can of corned beef and opened it, going over to the stove to preheat a cooking pan, "I won't Ginny, I won't"

* * *

><p>Draco went inside Hermione's room and laid down the bed, closing his eyes. He thought about what he said downstairs and frowned, wondering if he's going crazy. Why on earth did he say those things to Hermione? Sure she'd been kind enough to see through him and take him in when he needed somewhere to go but was that really enough grounds to tell her those things. He turned to his side and recalled that time on their second year when he first called her a Mudblood; how he wanted to prove to her that he didn't buy his way in the Slytherin quidditch team, watching her watch the match between Slytherin and Gryffindor as much as he could while looking for the snitch. He didn't know back then but the thirst to prove himself to her might have been the catalyst. Because he also proved herself to him, many times over, during the trio's conquests at school. By the time they were fourth years he noticed her completely; her beauty and her courage, everything shone about her during the Yule Ball. He remembered how closely he observed her as she danced with Viktor Krum, how he felt that twisted knot of jealousy he brushed off then as disgust. But then he shouldn't really have felt those things, although something inside him told him that it was not entirely impossible.<p>

A soft knock on his door woke him from his thoughts. He got out of bed and crossed the room in three strides, reaching the knob. He opened the door and looked at Hermione's almond eyes, momentarily speechless with the way she looked holding a tray of food. She held up the tray to him and he took it, looking at the contents with a scrunch of his nose, "What is this?"

"Food. Don't be so picky, we can't go out to buy fresh food; you have to deal with it if you don't want to starve." Hermione said, going inside the room, "Your room's on the next door, by the way. Me and Ginny are going to use mine." She said, towards a spot next to the bed and waving her wand, conjuring another single bed identical to the original one inside the room.

"Wouldn't it be safer if we share a room? I can stay and guard you both." Draco said, smiling mischievously, making Hermione give him an unamused glare, "Just kidding, geez, don't get your knickers in a twist."

"It's not exactly time for jokes, is it?" Hermione scoffed, adjusting her bed covers, "Eat then rest, we move once Harry finished talking with us." She said, laying down on the bed. Draco smiled inwardly at the knowledge that Hermione was laying down on the spot where he laid down on, and stepped out of the room, turning around and almost jumping in fright when he saw Ginny standing in front of him, a highly doubtful look on her face, "Before you say anything stupid, I just want you to know that if you hurt Hermione, you'd be answering to me."

"What are you, her mother or something?" Draco said, walking past her and going downstairs to eat.

* * *

><p>End of Chapter<p>

Okay I know all of you might want to kill me right now, but expect me to update a bit later than usual. I currently am at the end of my premade chapters so I'm now going to write the next one completely from scratch. I know that's not an excuse but my brain's been procrastinating real bad lately so I apologize for the stupidity of this update; definitely not my favorite chapter.

I'm also brainstorming with myself about what Gryffindor and Ravenclaw's monsters would be. You guys have any ideas? I don't want a giant lion or a giant bird because I hate stereotyping like that, that's why I gave hufflepuff a cute Wyvern :D any thoughts? I'd be glad to give your suggestions some limelight and you too so please please suggest (I did read jk rowling's fantastic beasts and where to find them, but most of the beasts there were kinda householdy so I really want something out of the ordinary. Like an oglop.. or something like that xD (bring on the final fantasy 9 reference comments))

I'm really sorry for being such a crappy author but I really hope you appreciate me writing:D also I have an upcoming post Hogwarts post post war fic coming (still Dramione) that would be like a buffer story of sorts whenever I get the block with this story, so yeah keep a lookout for that one.

Thanks for reading! And please review! I really need reviews on what to improve and what to opt out, because my mind works beautifully that way.

Oh and I forgot to suggest fics last chapter, so here are my suggestions for this chapter and the last one; Hunted by Bex-chan, and A Pound of Flesh (this is a must read for all you Obliviated!Draco fans. ) by…well I forgot her name but she rocks anyway

Peace!~

-Silverlining


	6. Defiance

As usual, I write my A/N at the end now, just so you guys can concentrate on reading

:D

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters and creatures in this story. I was hoping I could get Draco to come to me though, but I doubt he will, considering he has Hermione… story of my life *sighs*

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Defiance<p>

Hermione opened her eyes, the remnants of her nightmare still playing in her line of vision, making the room seem foggy. She shook her head and ran her hand over her sweaty face, feeling the cold droplets transfer to her palms. She carefully sat up, looking over at the bed beside her, watching her red-haired friend stir quietly in her slumber. She donned a robe over her shirt and jeans, waiting for her enchanted purse to finish tying itself around her waist before plucking her wand from inside, walking towards the door of her room. Hermione mindfully listened for any sound beyond the door before she opened it, walking outside and starting for the stairs.

"Bit late for a snack, isn't it, Granger?" A smooth drawl greeted her ears, making her turn around and assess the blond boy behind her. Draco Malfoy leaned on the wall, his hair tousled from sleep, wearing low-waisted sweatpants and a thin, grey shirt. A glint of a silver chain, showing around his neck, a necklace of some sort, tucked inside the shirt. He took a step towards her and smiled softly, regarding the brunette's sallow face, "You should get some more sleep, you look like you haven't slept in years."

"I can manage." She replied, shrugging and continuing down the stairs, the blonde followed suit, "Any word from Potter?"

"I've been checking every hour, none so far. Although he did say to expect him till tomorrow; if he didn't contact us till tomorrow I swear I'd break into Hogwarts." Hermione replied, briskly entering the kitchen and checking the pot for coffee. She busied herself with the pot, opening the gas range and setting it over the fire, waiting for it to re-heat.

"Whoa, I didn't know the know-it-all had the guts." Draco teased, earning a glare from Hermione. She sat down and summoned two mugs and the jar of creamer and sugar, "I don't even know where you get that information, but I'm no privy to breaking rules. I've been with Harry and Ron for years after all; you don't really have a choice when you're friends with people who had trouble chasing them."

"Sound like me. I wonder why we didn't become friends at school." The blonde mused, not really serious in his question.

"Hmm, let me see, maybe it's because you were busy being a right ass to us at school." Hermione said, summoning the heated pot of coffee and pouring some in the mugs. She levitated one to Draco and added two teaspoons of sugar and cream in hers. Draco accepted the mug and ignored the condiments, sipping his coffee, "Well, that's a given, but then it's not too late now, is it?" He said, setting down his mug and looking at her with those grey eyes. Hermione felt her cheeks flush, looking away and sipping at her mug, rolling the taste of the hot beverage inside her lips. She looked back at him with her honey-glazed eyes, searching that comforting glint in his orbs. Draco stood up and walked around the table, stopping in front of her seated form, bending forward so their noses were only inches apart, "What are you doing to me, Hermione Granger?"

"I-I d-don't.." Hermione stuttered, her words lost the moment his lips touched hers. She felt arms enveloping her body, the warmth from their fingertips siphoning away the coldness they felt in their hearts. It was wrong, but it felt right; the only thing right in this world. Draco lifted her on the table and continued peppering her mouth with kisses, grazing his lips all around the corners of her face, kissing her almond-shaped eyes, her button-nose, everything that he can touch. He knew this would be short-lived but this is what he needed, this is what they both needed. A release, a haven; something they can go on with after all of everything that matters is done.

But will there be an after?

Hermione pushed him away gently, her breathing labored, matching his, as she slid off the table and adjusted her robe, wiping away at her face with her sleeve. Draco looked a little hurt but stepped away slightly, allowing her the space she needed to fix herself. Hermione stopped moving, looking at the shadow behind the blond boy, finding the slight glint of red-hair almost unnerving. Ginny cleared her throat and walked in, going past Draco towards her brunette friend, looking like an uncanny replica of a stern Molly Weasley, "Hermione."

"Harry's calling." Hermione said, hearing slight tapping of glass from inside her purse. Thankful for the distraction, she carefully summoned the mirror and looked in, finding a shock of green-colored eyes looking right at her, "Hermione, we have your schedule. If you're planning to break in do it tomorrow, and make it quick, I'm gonna leave something for you in the library; it's the poem we used to find Hufflepuff's Wyvern. You of all people can decipher it and find out where the other two are." Harry said, pushing a parchment right on top of the mirror. Hermione skimmed at the list, committing the scrawls in memory before nodding at Ginny for parchment and a quill, which the girl understood, running towards the hall immediately. Draco chewed on his tongue, waiting for Harry to speak.

"Also, Hermione, be careful of Neville. He just ordered to send the teachers to the dungeons earlier and we don't know why everyone agreed with him. We tried to fight him off, but we can't very well fight off the whole school with just the two of us. The teachers escaped though, we're gonna regroup in the new Order Headquarters as we speak; we'll get you, Ginny, and Malfoy out of there when it's safe. Ron and I are currently hiding, so don't worry." He added at the sight of Hermione's scandalized face.

"Why? What happened? Have you checked him; he might be an impostor." Hermione said, looking at Draco who shrugged, just as Ginny returned with the items. Hermione grabbed the quill and parchment and started to scribble the schedule she memorized, tapping the parchment with her wand to make two copies. She handed the copies to Draco and Ginny before turning back on Harry, "With Hogwarts being Death Eater camp before, there might have been lurking Death Eaters you guys didn't notice."

"Yes, we know he's an impostor even if he did answer everything we asked him correctly, which is really weird. But then, why are the students following him? Surely the Death Eaters can't replace a whole school full of students with impostors that are briefed with information with every single one of them." Harry said, looking behind him nervously, "We have to go, Hermione. We'll keep in touch, good luck!" He said, the mirror turning back to its usual reflective state. Hermione sighed and put the mirror back inside her bag, reviewing the parchment in front of her. Looks like first patrol shift ends two hours from now, earning them a free corridor towards the library. Hermione felt a pang of longing for the Marauder's map, but figured this will do. She turned around and smiled nervously at the two in front of her, "Well, what do you think? Harry says to go tomorrow, but that would be wasting time."

"I think we should listen to him; there must be a reason why Harry didn't want to have us go today." Ginny said, looking up from the parchment, "Besides, you could use some rest, really."

"See, even Red agrees with me." Draco said, waving his hand nonchalantly towards Ginny, "Don't get so excited Granger; I know adventure doesn't come that much with the likes of you."

"I thought I made it clear that I'm no stranger to situations like these." Hermione scoffed, standing up from the table and clearing the mugs, making them wash themselves in the sink, "I'm gonna go get ready, we leave this time tomorrow; patrols at the southern end of the forbidden forest don't rotate till that time." She said, walking out of the kitchen. Draco meant to follow but was stopped by the figure of Ginny, her hand on her hips, the most frightening look on her face, enough to make Draco raise an eyebrow, "What are you doing, Weasley?"

"What do you think you're playing at?" Ginny said, taking a step forward, still glaring, "Hermione's not like those whores you have at school."

"Language, Weasel, although I'm not surprised; with that kind of upbringing, you would not have known what proper words to use to save your life." He scoffed, trying to walk but then was stopped by a wand on her chest, Ginny seething, "Don't you dare talk about my family like that, Malfoy, or I'll rip your tongue out. You better watch it; Hermione seemed to think you're worthy of trust but I still don't trust you. Whatever you did with Hermione will not work on me."

"I don't plan on doing anything to you, Weaselette, don't make me puke." He said, pushing her wand away and continuing down the hallway, "I didn't ask you to trust me either, so save your breath. You and your girlfriend issues could be taken care of after everything is through." He added, stopping short at the hallway, looking back at the still fuming Weasley, "Hermione is different. I don't have to justify that to you. If you really were her friend, you'd know she never does anything she's forced to do."

"And how come you suddenly knew so much about Hermione?" Ginny asked, sarcasm in her voice. Draco sighed and started to go up, whispering his reply, "It was not sudden, Red, and it's acquired knowledge."

* * *

><p>Hermione sat on her bed, her eyes staring at the same spot of the parchment, her thoughts going wild. What was going on in Hogwarts? The question rolling in her head in an infinite loop, she sighed and laid down the bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering if she really could sneak in Hogwarts, without Harry and Ron's help.<p>

Sure she has Ginny and Draco now, but it will never be the same. Harry and Ron have this connection with her, they would always know what to do with whatever clue she has or deciphered. They were always a team. But now, even with companions, she had never felt so alone.

'_But then, there's Draco.'_ A voice inside her said, making her ponder. Draco. How come her head calls him Draco now? She can't deny that those kisses they shared didn't get to her, but what was wrong with her, letting him kiss her twice, the last one almost leading to something she would regret…but will she really regret it?

Grunting in frustration with her very obnoxious predicament, she tuned her brain to something much more important; that Wyvern. She remembered reading about the Founders in Hogwarts; A History, but never in any of the various editions did she read about those beasts. Even the Chamber of Secrets was a complete surprise to her during their second year. If what Harry said about the poem was true, how come she didn't see it earlier? Surely with her skills, she could have figured out what that poem really was trying to say, but maybe she was overestimating her mind. Even so, if there was a clue in the library she doubted she would miss it; and that's what she's aiming to find out.

She sat up abruptly as the door opened, looking at the blonde boy who entered, her eyes asking what he was doing. Draco didn't speak and just walked inside, sitting at the side of her bed, looking at her with longing. She didn't know what made her do it but she inched forward, enveloping him in an embrace, firm but soft. It was assurance, but of what? Draco reluctantly wrapped his arms around her gently and stroked her hair, disentangling the soft strands that were caught in his fingers during each stroke, planting a fleeting kiss on her temple, "It will be alright. "

Hermione scoffed at the words, amused with the irony, and disengaged their embrace, lying softly on the bed and turning away from him. Draco stood up and went towards the door, their little encounter saying more that words could ever do. All in all, Draco knew it was too late to back out now; it was too late to escape and turn back. He was trapped, with his growing affections and the thought of losing…losing everything.

She was slowly becoming his everything.

* * *

><p>"Hermione, are you sure you'd be okay by yourself?" Ginny asked as they appeared at the edge of the forbidden forest, murmuring quick <em>Muffiliato<em>s at their feet, preventing the sound of crunching twigs as they hastily stepped behind the confines of the large trees, "You'd be overpowered if you're caught."

"Don't worry Gin; it'll be more of a hassle if we all go in; if ever I'm caught you guys can go ahead and contact Harry. It'll be also easier to move around without worrying where you two might be." Hermione said, unearthing the mirror from inside her bag and handing it to Ginny. She gave Draco a soft nod, avoiding his eyes. They argued about the plan a couple of hours before they apparated, Draco not fond of her going alone. The argument ended in condescending shouts and glares before Ginny made up her mind and sided with Hermione, with a further struggle from Draco earning him the loss of his wand. Ginny looked at Draco with a glare, her eyes warning him if ever he thought of doing something reckless. The blonde sighed and slumped at the trunk of a nearby tree, his arms crossed in defeat. Hermione smiled and crouched down, lifting his gaze to hers, "I'll be back, make sure Ginny's safe, okay?"

"She doesn't need protection. And how can I protect her when I don't have my wand?" The blonde said. Hermione sighed and handed him the hawthorn wand, standing up to face Ginny's disbelieving face, "You'll need back up; I don't suppose it's fun to babysit a wandless Malfoy anyway. He'd be useless without it."

"Who are you calling useless?" Draco hissed as Hermione stifled a laugh and walked towards Hogwarts.

Hermione rounded towards the Great Hall, the disillusionment charm doing wonders she thought was not possible anymore. She managed to confound Terry Boot before the Slytherin could even make out who was coming, and enter through the front doors successfully. She was now walking towards the second floor corridor when she heard soft voices murmur inside one of the classrooms.

"What did they say? Did the Dark Lord say anything?"

"No, nothing, he said not to contact him before we found the other two. Said he can't use Hogwarts without them, with the Basilisk gone, it really won't be complete but then again, better that than nothing."

Hermione stifled a gasp as she heard the second voice, not believing her ears. She peeked through the small opening of the door, her eyes confirming what she heard. Inside sat two people, one a female and the other the pudgy face of Neville Longbottom. The female had her back turned to Hermione but the shock of curly brown hair was unmistakable, especially if said owner of curly, brown hair had them since she was a child.

Hermione found herself looking at her own back.

"We really should hurry, why can't we figure out that blasted poem? I thought if we do that spell we can know whatever they know. I just want to get out of this body." The person who looked like Neville said, scrunching his nose. The fake Hermione scoffed, "You are not the only one. I don't know; looks like we can only know what they knew in the past, but their logic and thinking,22 not too much. The spell's not complete anyway; the Dark Lord only authorized us to use it because it seems to be the most opportune moment."

"But this is handy though, if only we can get to Potter. " The fake Neville said, his eyes glinting with greed, "Think of all the things we can do with his influence."

"We won't have to use the boy when he's dead. The Dark Lord shall rule again. All we need to do now is find him, and hand him over to the Dark Lord." She said, laughing an airy laugh. Hermione felt her arms break in Goosebumps at the sound of her own voice speaking with such malice. What was that spell they were talking about? Shaking her thoughts away, she inched backward and turned to go, finding another figure in front of her.

"Well hello." The dark face of Blaise Zabini greeted her sight, his lips curling into a smile, "What a pleasant surprise."

Hermione whipped out her wand and hissed, "I swear Zabini, I would-"

"Save your threats for later, Granger, I want to ask you a question; is Draco alive?" Blaise said, looking at Hermione's Disillusioned figure. Hermione narrowed her eyes, why wasn't he marching in the room with her right now?

"How-?"

"Potter told me he was with you. Is he in this castle?" Blaise asked quietly, his eyes fleeting back from the door to her, "Answer me."

"No, but he's alive." Hermione breathed. Blaise nodded and turned to go, "Do not get caught Granger, I can give you a few minutes time to go where you have to go. Don't waste it."

Still very much confused, Hermione nodded and sprinted to the other direction, away from the Italian and the impostors behind the oak door.

She stopped outside the ornate doors of the library; years of experience from sneaking inside during nighttime supplied her with the right unlocking spells, waiting as the doors opened slowly. She hastily got in and closed the door, murmuring wards as precaution before going through the shelves. She started looking for what Harry wanted to give her, trying to summon everything that crossed her mind. She came across the children's section of the library and smiled fondly; it was set up during the Triwizard tournament for the younger relatives of the champions but afterwards remained when the other students became fond of their missed childhood stories. Hermione went towards the section and grabbed a copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_, running her hand across the tattered cover, remembering how the book helped them get rid of the Horcruxes and find the Deathly Hallows. Even if they did destroy all the Horcruxes, Voldemort still lived. Although Hermione knew he wouldn't be able to create more because his soul was too ripped to try again, she still had dread in her heart that maybe if they manage to get their hands on those monsters, he can kill them all off. She shook her head, a determined look on her face; like hell she was going to allow that.

As she was wondering if Harry and Ron were safe, she stumbled across the final Hogwarts; A History edition she read before they went out of Hogwarts. She sat down and turned its pages, finding a differently colored scrap of parchment inside. Her eyes lit up as the words started to form in her touch, hastily, she began to read

_The Last Words of Odo_

_Thus Hogwarts was at the end of age_

_The Guardians took flight, set sail, slept and raged_

_Old Salazar took his, buried it underground_

_An Heir, it awaits, with its pitch-black Heart_

_The monster slumbered, where the spiders never go_

_Where the rooster, its foe, can never crow_

Hermione frowned; that was the Basilisk. A little hopeful, she read on;

_Old Hufflepuff said, "It remains to be so;_

_My old friend must indeed go."_

_Curious, young Wyva waggled its tail_

_As Helga herself put its rage beyond trail_

_There within the trees, in her fervor; _

_Freeze with stones and gravel in her armor._

_Ravenclaw knew that her time is almost up_

_She quickly must fulfill their bargain, their pact_

_With a reluctant heart she said,"Goodbye my steed."_

_And sent it down into the depths of Lagoon_

_Lastly, old Godric, with a heart of gold._

_Gave his friend's wings a touch of firemold_

_He said, "Come, great Calyx, when the time is right_

_You should rise from the ashes and take flight."_

_He waved, cheerfully so, like sending away a dear kin._

_Watching as the plumage, circled the home he was in._

Hermione pocketed the parchment. Figuring she can analyze it later on, she quickly grabbed her wand from where she left it at the table and got up from her seat, walking towards the library entrance. She stopped when the door opened, hastily hiding behind one of the tall shelves and retouching the Disillusionment charm, watching as two figures went inside.

"Are you sure you heard someone walk here, Carrow?" A high-pitched voice said, sounding very familiar. Hermione inched forward to get a better view, the pasty face of Pansy Parkinson looming across from her, "Zabini already checked in here earlier and locked it. Even the enchantments were intact. What would they do in the library anyway."

"Shut your mouth, Parkinson, I told you I heard something here." The other girl said, although Hermione knew it wasn't her by the sound of what she's saying. The always gentle of the Patil twins, Padma, veered left and looked around, just a couple of inches short of where Hermione was hiding. Hermione now secretly wished to have the invisibility cloak with her, knowing it would be easier to handle things if she had it. But now isn't the time for wishful thinking as Pansy squinted towards where she was, "What is that?" The pug-faced Slytherin walked past Padma, going towards Hermione in a fast pace. Hermione flattened herself gently on the bookshelf, willing the charm to strengthen and hoping that the darkness of the library would help her remain hidden. She let a soft, silent, sigh of relief when Pansy walked past her, going to the table where she was studying the poem.

"Look at this; it looks like it's just been used." Pansy said, picking up the book and showing it to the dark-haired girl, "Looks like you're right Carrow. She might not be too far."

"How can you be sure it was a she?" The fake Padma said.

"This is the library. There's only one witch I know who would go to the Library, of all places, if she broke through in Hogwarts." Pansy said, putting down the book and heading towards the library exit, "And only one I know, as much as I hate to admit it, who'd be clever enough to unlock this door and lock it like nothing happened."

Hermione waited until the footsteps died down before she moved towards the door, thankfully finding it left open by Pansy and went out, careful to keep close to the darkened walls to help her Disillusionment charm. She safely reached the first floor, her head whipping from left to right, looking for an opening at the convergence of students blocking the exit. Huffing indignantly, she raced towards the back of the corridor, hoping that the doors leading to the school grounds aren't closed.

She reached the doors without any inconvenience, noting that even the ghosts seemed to be hiding in the school. She reached the knob and pulled open, only to find Pansy and the fake Padma with their wands drawn at her.

"I told you she'd be here." Pansy hissed gleefully, looking at Hermione with pure loathing, "Well then, mudblood, any last words?"

"Parkinson! Behind you!" The fake Padma screeched, before getting hit by a dash of red sparks. Ginny Weasley came into view, running towards Hermione from behind Pansy, giving her a hug, "Thank gods you're okay, come on; Malfoy's holding off Seamus and Lee, well, what looked like Seamus and Lee where I've left him."

"Draco?" Pansy whispered, looking at Ginny alarmingly, "You said, Malfoy, is it Draco? He's alive?"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione shouted, taking advantage as Pansy lowered her wand. She sprinted out towards the grounds, aiming for the expanse of the forbidden forest across Hagrid's hut as Pansy's body dropped down towards the earth, motionless.

"I thought I told you to stay where you are?" Hermione breathed, running until her legs hurt towards the sound of jinxes flying inside the trees, "Why did you leave Malfoy?"

"Well, I can't very well save you if I stuck with babysitting him now could I?" Ginny answered, jumping over a fallen log, "We have to hurry though, Seamus and Lee looked like they can kill. I suppose you got what you have to get then?"

"Yep, and much more." Hermione said, waving her wand towards a clump of trees, making them part to make way for the two girls, "I'll explain when we get home in one piece." She added as Ginny opened her mouth to inquire. The red-head nodded and went faster, the sounds of duel growing louder and louder.

"_Confringo_!" Draco shouted, singeing Seamus Finnigan's shirt, leaving the boy to roll over as his garments caught on fire. Lee Jordan moved forward, snarling at the blond boy as he cast a curse that whizzed past Draco's cheek, leaving a gash on his pale skin.

"Poor Malfoy, nobody will take you back now, you and your father will rot in hell." Lee said, aiming his wand at Draco. Draco stood his ground, although a little confused, eyeing the tall boy with his piercing eyes, "What are you talking about Jordan?"

"I'm talking about when the Dark Lord wins, you fool. " The dark boy seethed, sending another curse that ominously looked like _Sectumsempra_. Draco dodged it, thankfully, still remembering the unpleasant experience with said curse.

Definitely not going to be a repeat performance.

"And what do you care about that, Jordan, you fight against him."

"Everything is not what it seems, young master Malfoy." Lee retorted, bowing a little as a sign of mock respect.

Draco froze, recognizing the gesture. He only saw that once before, when he was still young and naïve. That same mockery, the same sneer; he knew who that was.

"Nott?" Draco said, referring to the elder Theodore Nott. Lee, well, Nott laughed, offering a menacing smile, "Oh he gets it now. Very good. I was really vying for your body, but then again we don't have a sample of you so hey, this would be pretty good."

"Sample? What are you talking about?" Draco growled, sending a Reducto in his direction. Nott was hit full in the chest, sending him a few feet away. The blonde moved to step closer but he felt gentle fingers enclose his wrist, the familiar warm sensation telling him who it is before he could even see.

"Let's go." Hermione's firm voice reached his ears, breaking into a run as they proceeded towards the nearest apparition point.

End of Chapter

* * *

><p>Okay! So I hope that puzzle poem isn't too crappy for you (i suck at rhymes) :P although I know one of you already know what the other two creatures are, thank you so much Kermit 304 for the wonderful suggestion! I'm using your suggestion! Hahaha you are so amazing, but I can't tell where they are hidden, you have to find it out yourselves people!~<p>

I hope you guys like this story so much like I do now, I say, I really didn't have a clue what to write for this chapter at first but then my fingers just started waltzing around the keyboard and voila! Thank Xiah Junsu's Tarantallegra song for that (If you guys don't know DBSK, hate K-Pop or something then…well…whatever makes you happy.)

Awesome reviews are appreciated! And thank you to the lovely dears that reviewed, alerted, and favorite my humble tale, especially to you Kermit304 and LobsterMobster95 and the first ones who reviewed! You are ossom!

I noticed that I recommended Hunted by Bex-chan twice (because it's cool) so in its place would be something by CajunWitch entitled The Voodoo That You Do and for this chapter is Will the Snake Strangle the Lion by NumeralNerd. I know it's not finished yet, but it's a helluva read. And those fascinating stories will keep you occupied while waiting for the next chappie right? :D see, I know how you guys feel when waiting for a new chapter of a story i'm reading, so just so you won't get bored, I recommend stories coz I love my readers like that

Okay so I'm rambling; I'll cut this short for now~

-Silverlining

p.s. I still can't say what happened and why they have clones and why…well you get it…it'll all be divulged real soon. I don't intend this story to exceed 20 chapters so I just need you guys to be patient. It will all string through somehow :D have faith in my crazy noggin.


	7. Awake

Again, Author's note is at the end of the chapter

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic, except for the plot, the paper I used to scribble ideas in and my first draft, and the laptop I'm typing this in, belongs to Queen J.K. Rowling. I just wished she would give…oh nevermind, not gonna happen anyway.

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Awake<p>

Hermione gasped for breath as they reached the front steps of her house. Her hands shaking as she fumbled with the doorknob. She succeeded in opening the door, hurrying inside and waiting for Ginny and Draco to enter, closing the door once they were in.

"It's worse than we expected, something really is wrong inside Hogwarts." Ginny breathed, clutching the doorframe for support.

"No shit, Red, Theodore Nott looked like Lee Jordan; I bet all of the students at school were Death Eaters by now." Draco hissed, slumping at the floor, his face bloodied from the wound on his cheek. Hermione quickly tended to him and murmured a quick healing spell before siphoning the blood off his face. He gave her an affectionate touch on her hand and stood up, stepping off his shoes, "You got what you went in there for, Granger?"

"Yeah, and you're right, almost all of them there are Death Eaters, except for the Slytherins maybe." Hermione said, earning an inquisitive look from the other two, "I ran into Blaise Zabini when I was in the castle. He let me go, don't worry. Maybe Harry's been working with him."

"Blaise really isn't a part of anything. He's neutral." Draco said, sighing in relief as he sunk down on the living room sofa, closing his eyes for a moment, "What did he say?"

"He just asked if you were alive then bought me time to search in the library." Hermione said, nodding towards Ginny who looked completely perplexed, "I also saw Pansy, and an Impostor Padma. Also my and Neville's fakers are there, and I have a hunch who my faker is. Although I hope I'm wrong." Hermione added.

"I knew it!" Ginny gasped, her eyes a pure impression of disbelief, "But if they're fake, where were they keeping the originals? Please don't tell me they killed them."

"I won't be surprised, but let's hope not." Hermione said, slumping down the couch next to Draco, her head in her hands. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the parchment, the words, once again, forming at her touch. Draco took it from her and read, looking doubtfully at the script, "Are you sure this was the genuine thing Potter and Weasel were following to find those monsters?"

"Yeah, why?" Hermione asked. Ginny moved forwards and reached for the parchment, reading once she got it, "I know this poem…but if I remember correctly, Odo died before he finished it."

"Exactly, but then again the four founders were mentioned so I don't think we would need any more clues." Draco said, standing up and checking his cheek, making sure no scar would mar his face. Satisfied, he turned back towards the two ladies, "I'm going up for a bath, don't overthink this. If what I remember correctly with that poem was right, those monsters were just inside or on Hogwarts grounds. It wouldn't be too hard to look for them." He said, leaving them inside the room.

* * *

><p>"Hermione, what's up with you and Malfoy, seriously." Ginny said, earning a vexed look from Hermione, "Is this really the right time to discuss that?"<p>

"It will turn worse sooner or later if I kept this clammed up. I tried getting it out of him in the forest but he just won't talk. Come on Hermione; I'm your best friend. You know I'd understand whatever this is."

"But I don't know what it is." Hermione murmured, sighing, "I really don't know Gin, just drop it okay? Please?"

Ginny eyed her apprehensively, a slight frown decorating her lips. She gave a defeated sigh and patted Hermione's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "Just know that whatever happens, I'll be here for you, okay?"

"I know you will Gin, so just forget about it okay?" Hermione said, summoning a cup of iced coffee from her fridge.

"Tell me just one thing; is he really that good to be called a Slytherin Sex God?" The red-head said, making Hermione cough on her beverage.

"Ginny!" She protested, blushing madly. Ginny laughed and held up her hands, "Just kidding, but damn even I'm not blind. Hard to admit but ferret's quite a looker, even back at school half of the Gryffindor common room's been crushing on him."

"Yeah but he's a git then. It's really hard to notice good qualities from people who tormented you for the past years of your childhood." Hermione mused, setting down her cup. Ginny shrugged and stood up, getting her wand from her pocket, "I'm gonna make dinner; a proper one."

"How? We don't have anything here." Hermione asked, looking curiously at Ginny. The youngest Weasley smiled and just waltzed off the room, "Let me show you how mum feeds us all without ever running out of food."

Hermione lounged in the sofa, staring at the parchment wistfully and rolling the words over and over in her head. She found herself lost in thought, just like always when they find something useful for their adventures. Inside her head, she turned over every structure inside Hogwarts she ever read about or ventured in, searching for something that might tell them where it is. As she sipped her third cup of iced coffee a sudden realization hit her, making her giddy with excitement;

_With a reluctant heart she said,"Goodbye my steed."_

_And sent it down into the depths of Lagoon_

"The Lake." Hermione whispered, getting up and going to the kitchen. A heavenly waft of spices assaulted her nostrils, making her stomach grumble.

"Ginny, I think I know where Ravenclaw's monster is." Hermione said, sitting on a stool at the counter, looking on as the auburn-haired girl busied herself with various pots and pans, "And I might have an idea of what it is, although I'm not quite sure, it should be monstrous in size after all."

"Yeah, but there's really no point in guessing; if you think you know where to look then let's just look for it." Ginny said, facing her and letting the dishes simmer, "So, where?'

"The Lake." Hermione said, smiling and pointing out the phrase to Ginny, whose eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "But how do you know? There might be tons of places called Lagoon."

"Yeah, but I read in a book before that the Great Lake beside Hogwarts was once called Agua Lagoona, maybe Ravenclaw sank it there." Hermione murmured, pocketing the parchment, "So what do you think it is? I have a hunch, but just because the poem said steed; it might be a winged horse."

"Hmm, a winged horse? Sounds very much like Ravenclaw." A voice behind them drawled, none of them bothering to look as Draco entered the room, his hair still a little wet from bath, his grey long sleeve sweater and sweatpants looking very homely, "Are you sure it's okay if I wear these, Granger?"

"Yeah it's fine, they don't fit Dad anyway; they we're the first pair of exercise garments I bought for him when I was a child." Hermione said, tying her hair back with a ribbon from her purse. She repeated the verse in her head and spoke, "Ginny, do you know if any of the mythological creatures muggles think aren't true are real?"

"Most of them are, but they're very hard to find. Like the Spinx; only three of them are alive. Oh and those wonderful nymphs at the Aegean Sea; although they don't like to come to the surface much because they were once hunted down by sailors. Why, is Ravenclaw's pet a giant Seahorse or something?"

"No, I was thinking of another kind, like the one Perseus had." Hermione said, standing up and going to the adjacent room of the living room. She opened the door and revealed a quaint library, the walls scattered with books on various kinds of medicinal practices. She strode towards one wall, dedicated to the books she owned and pulled out a copy on Greek Mythology, returning to the kitchen and opening it, "I figured, if Ravenclaw had a winged horse then maybe it's _the_ winged horse. The first one, bred by Zeus."

"Zeus eh? My great grandfather once told me about him. They said he and his gang of warlocks and witches once ruled over a certain part of the world as gods. Can you believe that? " Draco snorted, amused by the idea, "How daft can those muggles be? Those people were much more stupid than those who burned witches and wizards some time later."

"Oh, shush, Malfoy. We don't need to know how smart you are. Especially if it's not true." Ginny retorted, going over to Hermione to read the book, "So you think Ravenclaw had Pegasus? That could be plausible, you know, since the ministry had been searching for him for ages. But why would Ravenclaw seal him in water?"

"Because Pegasus, is no ordinary horse." Hermione said, flicking a page and reading, " 'Valiant Pegasus, Zeus's steed traversed into the realm of Poseidon, eating nothing but the finest and adorned by silver and gold. The mighty stallion, revered by the people of the sea, was graced with an astonishing gift; the ability to live in its depths.' See! But how can we get to him? There's this matter of the giant squid as well."

"Well I know a way." Draco said, whipping out his wand, "I spent hot summers just sleeping in the lake; just do a decent bubble-head charm to last for hours. If it's just the lake then there's no need to worry; it might be deep but it's not endless. And the giant squid is harmless, trust me." He said, sitting next to Hermione and looking at the book, "This is not written by a muggle though, I' m sure of that. But if that horse is in the lake all along, then how come no one's found it yet?"

"Ravenclaw's put it to sleep. It must be buried beneath the lake, not just in it." Hermione answered, stretching her back, "Well, let's eat then get some rest; we're going swimming tomorrow."

"Are we going to tell Harry about this?" Ginny asked, preparing the bowls of whatever she'd cooked.

"Yeah, but I don't know how to contact him; what he gave us was a one-way mirror, there's no way for us to use it to send a message to him." Hermione answered. "We can't very well just sit here and do nothing right? Let's just tell him what we know when he contacts us, but let's find out what's at the bottom of the lake first." She added, accepting the bowl and putting a spoonful in her mouth, "Great gods Ginny, this is wonderful."

"Told you." Ginny smirked, handing another bowl to Draco who looked at it warily, "I won't poison you Malfoy, not yet."

"Like I care." Draco retorted, starting to eat. They fell into a comfortable silence, thinking about what they would do and how they would do it. After a couple of minutes, Hermione rose from the table, full, and proceeded to her room.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat on the bed and unzipped her jeans, letting them fall on the floor, stepping out of them. She was just pulling her shirt above her head when she heard a knock on the door, "Hermione."<p>

"Hold on." Hermione called out, quickly pulling her bathrobe from the nearby hamper and wrapped it around her body before striding towards the knob and pulling the door open, "What do you want, Malfoy."

Draco stole a look on her barely clothed form and smirked before letting out his usual drawl, "I just want to know if Blaise said anything else. Something substantial."

"No." Hermione answered, raising her eyebrow at a flash of worry on the blonde's grey eyes before they returned to their usual quicksilver state, "Why, expecting something?"

"No, don't think about it. Thanks." Draco mumbled, preparing to go out of the room. Hermione moved forward and grabbed his arm, tugging on it gently, "No, really, what is it?"

Draco sighed and moved back, closing the door behind them. Hermione suddenly felt the temperature in the room go up, her cheeks rapidly tinting red. She looked away and waited for him to speak, picking at her fingers. Draco went nearer and put his hand on her cheek, tracing her lips with his thumb, "What do you care about my problems anyway, Granger. I just asked a simple question; if you don't have anything more to say then drop it." He whispered, inclining his head forward until their noses were almost touching, "I don't need you worry. I need you to focus."

"Well you're making a hell of a job in helping me on that matter." Hermione whispered, taking a step back as Draco moved forward. She stumbled on the bed and Draco moved on top of her, straddling her hips with his thighs, his torso covering hers, looking in her eyes with steely silver orbs. He crouched over her, gently grazing his lips across her jaw, "You are something else, Granger." He whispered, licking her earlobe gently, "Who do you think you are, telling a Malfoy he's not a help? A Malfoy always helps in anything he is involved on. You know that?" He added, tracing circles with his tongue on her neck. The action made Hermione snap back to her senses, pushing him roughly away, sending him landing on the floor, "What the hell are you doing, Granger?"

"Stay away." Hermione said, her voice shaking. Draco looked at her, hurt etching on his face before he looked down and stood up, turning her back on her, "Okay, if that's what you want." He said, opening the door and exiting the room. Hermione heard his footsteps die down, her body shaking with a pandemic of emotions. She clasped her hands together and covered her mouth, controlling the sobs that threatened to escape her lips. She didn't even know why she felt so upset about pushing him away; surely she should have been angry about what he did with her. What did he do with her?

'_He made you feel beautiful.'_ A voice inside her said and she smiled, laughing like a mad woman, laughing at the stupidest but most honest reason her head had suggested.

"Hermione, Malfoy disapparated." Ginny's soft voice entered the room, approaching the bed she was currently sprawled in, "Did something happen?"

"H-he left?" Hermione said, sitting up and bowing her head. She shook her emotions away and pulled a straight face, clearing her throat, "Well he's not our responsibility anyway. That's one more person not to worry about." She said, standing up and going to the adjacent bathroom, "Get some rest Gin."

"Are you sure we could just let him go? What if he rats us out to You-Know-Who?" Ginny asked as Hermione's form disappeared inside the door. Hermione peeked back outside and grimaced, "Then we should get ready and leave after we get some rest."

Ginny sighed and slumped on the bed as she heard the shower frizzle away inside the bathroom, chewing her lower lip. Draco merely gave her a cold look before exiting the house, disapparating outside without even giving her an explanation. She shook her head and lay on the bed, thinking it was just right not to trust him.

Hermione trembled under the warm rain of the shower, letting the water run down her body in rivulets, washing away the coldness she felt. Her heart was thumping with sadness and worry, and a bit of regret. She quickly lathered soap and shampoo on herself and gave a quick rinse before toweling herself dry, reaching for a fresh bathrobe on a rack outside the shower stall. She looked at the vanity mirror above the sink, noting her hollow cheekbones and darkened eyes, looking away at the sight. There are more important things she needed to worry about, and there's no room for error in what they were attempting to do. She got out of the bathroom and collapsed on the empty bed beside hers as Ginny was sound asleep on the other. Not even bothering to get dressed, she rolled on her back and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Filthy mudblood." A high-pitched cackle followed the voice, Hermione feeling a sharp pain on her arm. She squirmed and screamed, shrieking at the figure to get off, only to feel the weight on top of her get heavier, making it hard to dp breathe, "Tell me how you stole it! How did you get into my vault!"<p>

"We didn't steal anything!" She shouted, tears stinging her eyes as the figure became clearer, the face of Bellatrix Lestrange leering menacingly at her, the woman's expression laced with anger. Bellatrix proceeded to cut her arm, each carving making Hermione bite her lower lip, enough to make it bleed. She felt the weight on top of her lessen as the offending woman stood up, pointing her crooked wand at her face, "You lying, scum. If you won't tell me the truth then I'll force it out of you. " She snarled, raising her wand, "_Crucio!_"

Hermione screamed as the pain cursed throughout her body, her limbs feeling like they've been set on fire. She squirmed around the floor, hoping to ease the pain but movement made her feel like she's being torn into pieces, intensifying the agony her body felt. She opened one eye and saw a shock of blonde hair, his face blurry with the pain she's feeling but she knew who it was. She attempted to raise her arm, screaming in agony as Bellatrix faced her towards the blonde haired boy, shrieking in her ear, "That's it deary, crawl like the worm you are, you filthy excuse of a witch. Beg for help, beg for your life."

"Go to hell!" Hermione screamed, earning a slap from Bellatrix.

The curse was lifted and she found herself being turned over, Bellatrix's scandalized gaze fixating on hers, "You dare curse me with that filthy tongue of yours? You dare?" The madwoman shrieked, hitting her with a stronger torture curse, the pain reaching her head, making her shriek loud enough she was sure her throat would bleed. She heard Bellatrix laugh as the curse was lifted again, the aftershock still throbbing in her veins. Bellatrix crouched beside her and pulled her hair, facing her towards the boy, "Dearest Draco, care to do the honors?"

Just then, there was an explosion from behind them and she felt herself whisked away, just in time before a giant chandelier crashed on the place she was lying on with Bellatrix taunting her. She tried to raise her head and look around but all she can hear was voices and the sound of curses being exchanged. She thrashed when she felt arms envelope her, a shaky voice reaching her ears, "I won't hurt you. It's okay."

* * *

><p>Hermione opened her eyes, feeling her body soaked with cold sweat, painfully aware of arms wrapped around her body. She realized she was trembling, the effects of her very realistic nightmare still plaguing her senses. She sat up and looked beside her, finding Draco's gray eyes looking back at her, his expression full of worry. Her breathing slowed down as she gulp tears away, pushing herself away from him and hugging herself, willing her body to stop trembling, "What are you doing here?"<p>

"I couldn't leave. I want to but I can't; I told you I have nowhere else to go." Draco answered, sitting up the bed, "You were having a nightmare; I just repaid you for what you did for me in the forest." He added, avoiding her brown eyes, "Red's downstairs getting something warm for you to drink."

"Thank you." Hermione said, looking at him, drinking the sight of his face, feeling herself calm down. She reached forward and touched his hand, tears forming in her eyes, "Thank you. You saved me."

"Saved you?" Draco scoffed, his eyes reducing to slits, "Saved you from what? Being safe? Being comfortable? You do know that your safety's been gambled because of me right?"

"No one's safe nowadays, Malfoy, I didn't gamble anything." Hermione retorted, wiping her face with her sleeve. She noticed her state of near-undress, wrapping her bathrobe closer around herself, "And I made the choice to help you, you didn't force me to do anything. I'm thanking you for what you did for me in the manor. Thank you for not telling her who we were. Thank you for saving me from the chandelier." She mumbled, earning a raised eyebrow from Draco, "What are you talking about, Granger?"

"Don't deny it, you pushed me out of the way." She said, absentmindedly scratching at the scars on her left arm. Draco pulled the arm closer, pulling her sleeves up to reveal the etched word, marring her perfect skin, "She's a monster."

"She's crazy." Hermione said, whisking her arm away and rolling down her sleeve to hide it. She really didn't mean to show it, not to anyone, not even Harry and Ron. Draco moved to go out but Hermione pulled on his shirt, "Don't go, just stay for a moment, please."

Draco nodded and climbed back up on the bed, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close, her head resting on his chest. Draco closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair, stroking soothing circles on her back as she trembled in fear, his guilt overpowering him. If only he had been strong enough to save her, strong enough to prevent what his aunt was going to do then she shouldn't have been this distraught. He knew somehow that Hermione was still keeping things that hurt her inside, not willing to give anything up and make her look weak. The sight and feel of her shaking like a child afraid of the dark, crying soft tears as she grasped the material of his shirt tightly made him wonder what on earth did she experience to make her feel like this. He felt the coldness of his mother's necklace push on his skin as her head continued to nuzzle into his chest and a pang of loneliness engulfed his soul, making him bury his face deeper in her warmth.

"Granger. Where are your parents?" Draco asked, lifting Hermione's chin up to look at her. Hermione felt her breath hitch and her swollen eyes expel more tears at the thought. The truth was she didn't know; all she knew was that they were in Australia and possibly safe, but she can never be too sure. She looked away from him and chewed on her lower lip, pondering for a moment before answering, "I don't know. But they should be safe; I modified their memories so they don't know who I am, or that they have a child for that matter. They should be in Australia, on a vacation or something." She said, moving a little bit farther from him, "They should be safe." She repeated, attempting to convince herself more than Draco. The blonde nodded and inched towards her, canceling the few centimeters she succeeded in putting between them. He embraced her again, ignoring her efforts to unlatch him from herself and kissed her forehead, "Why are you pushing me away?"

"Because we're not supposed to be like this, you know it." Hermione retorted, refusing to look at him. He sighed exasperatedly and leaned forward, capturing her lips with his. She squirmed for a moment but gave in after a few strokes of his tongue on her lips, savoring the flavor that's uniquely Hermione. He pulled away and smiled, "I thought I said that you can't say that."

"You haven't." Hermione whispered her breathing quick and shallow, her heart thumping violently.

"Then you can't say that." He murmured, his hands grazing over her back, sending shivers down her spine, "You, I will never let you feel anything like this, not anymore. We are going to fix this. Together." Draco mumbled, kissing the trails of tears from her cheeks, "We're saving each other, from now on."

Hermione felt herself nod, her chest swelling rapidly with warmth. The critical part of her says to kick him in the shins but a greater good in her told her to trust him. She heard the door close and the lock click in place as Draco moved to crouch atop her, his hands trailing down her waist towards the ribbon of her bathrobe. She moved back and looked at him, watching his lips as he spoke, "Tell me to stop."

He was answered by silence.

End of Chapter

* * *

><p>Yes, you all are welcome to kill me now :D next chapter is gonna be steamy, so I am friggin warning you, if you don't roll that way then why are you reading this fic? *points at M rating* you knew this was coming so I won't tell you to skip that part. It's part of the story, and I warned you enough with the rating so it'll be stupid to skip it…yeah yeah?<p>

For this chapter, I recommend you to get your eyes off to Bex-chan's Isolation coz she got chapter 39 out already! Oh yeah, been waiting for that since forever and I am so excited to read!~

As always, reviews are appreciated, sought after, and worshipped on so please review!~

-Silverlining


	8. Alive

Fair warning: this chapter contains writing which is not suitable for your little sisters/brothers. But I doubt y'all would let them read this…but if you are letting them read it then good job, you're opening their eyes at an early age :D That could never go wrong (dodges bullets fired by censoring committee) 

Anyway, if you don't appreciate reading materials of this caliber then why the hell are you at the M section of the Harry Potter fanfiction? Assuming you're reading this chapter, means you know the consequences of your actions, hence I won't tell you not to read it 'coz I post this here if I didn't want it read.

This was written with Xiah Junsu's Intoxication on endless loop (LOL)

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but my life…and staplers…oh wait its patented? :okay:

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Alive<p>

Hermione felt the places where Draco's lips touched her go warm, closing her eyes to heighten her senses. She gasped as Draco nipped at a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear, his thumbs caressing her thighs, moving up the hem of her bathrobe. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved in to kiss her lips, exploring each other's mouths as his hands found their way to undo the knot on her bathrobe, peeling the material away to reveal her body. Draco's breath caught up in his throat at the sight of her milky flesh, the perfect curves he didn't know existed now revealed for his eyes to feast upon, and sooner or later his touch and tongue. He moved, trailing wet kisses down her throat, his right hand grasping her left breast, gently kneading and pulling at her taut nipple. She arched her back as his warm breath grazed upon her mounds, his tongue flicking at the hardened nub atop each, making her moan in pleasure. Draco reached down to massage her inner thighs, his mouth alternating from one breast to the other as his right hand slowly reached to rub her sensitive nether mouth, feeling her need, wet against her panty's satin fabric.

"M-Malfoy." She moaned, a little louder than she intended, making her bite her lip, worried about Ginny hearing. Draco moved away slightly and unsheathed his wand from his sweatpants, waving it at the door to cast a non-verbal silencing charm. He put it on the bedside table and returned to his task, ravishing Hermione without a care in the world. Hermione gasped as he felt his breath skim across her thigh, getting higher by the second and stopping at her clothed clit. She shuddered as Draco ran a tongue across the sensitive bundle of nerves, her whole body shaking at the painfully slow motion.

"Delicious." Draco murmured, making a show of licking his lips which heightened the brunette's arousal. Hermione grasped his soft, blonde hair as he dipped his head for a second taste, this time pushing the material to one side, revealing her throbbing, wet pussy. She bit at her lip, her body turning very hot as Draco lapped at her clit, each stroke sending shivers down her spine. It didn't take long before Hermione felt her abdomen clench in pleasure, her grip on his hair tightening, "Oh Merlin…"

Draco inserted a finger inside her, groaning at the tightness of her and pumping with each stroke of his tongue. The thought of how much tighter she would get after she comes made his need go haywire, resulting in a very much obvious tent in his pants. He felt her walls clamp around the finger as Hermione screamed, her juices flowing in a pleasant dribble which he drank eagerly, placing a final kiss on her thigh before moving up to meet her gaze. Her face was beautifully flushed with the aftermath of her release; the sight of it making him feel so alive.

So alive

"I can stop if you want." Draco murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth gently, "I don't want to hurt you."

"No, please." Hermione whispered, tugging at the hem of his shirt which he discarded obligingly, "I need you."

Draco's pants were discarded at the sound of her words, his arousal springing happily free, throbbing and ready. Hermione looked away, her face turning red, making Draco raise an eyebrow, "What? Haven't seen something as big before?"

"Shut up." Hermione whispered, swatting at his arm, "I thought we made it clear that I am not like the girls you dated at school."

"SO we are dating now?" Draco asked, making Hermione frown. She was just thinking about it when Draco captured her lips in a gentle kiss, making her think of nothing else but the taste of his tongue on hers. She reached up and pulled him down, positioning herself under him. Draco gently pushed the tip of his cock inside, groaning listlessly at the feel of her around him, "So tight. Fuck." He mumbled, slowly entering more of his member, taking care not to go all the way in one swoop, not wanting to hurt her. He was met with a slight resistance halfway, making him open his eyes and look at Hermione's face, her eyes contorted in painful concentration, "Hermione, you.."

"Just move." Hermione grumbled, squirming under him to lessen her discomfort, "Move, Malfoy."

He nodded and started to grind his hips on her, doing all he can not to fuck her senseless. She was so tight; enough to make him topple on edge in a couple of pumps but he wanted her to feel pleasure before he released his own. He wanted her to enjoy what they were doing. Just then they heard a knock on the door, Draco cursing really loudly as he continued to pump, ignoring the intrusion. He felt his member grow harder with his impending release, his balls getting tighter as a wave of pleasure coursed through the veins of his cock, his vision dotted with white as Hermione moaned, her walls tightening around him, releasing a second time.

"Draco!"

The sound of his name escaping her lips sent him over the edge, moaning as he pumped his seed within her, riding out his orgasm with a couple more strokes, panting as he collapsed on top of her. He kissed her lips a final time before looking at her face, the knocking on the door stopped.

"Hermione." He murmured, wiping sweat off her forehead and planting a kiss on her nose, "Hermione."

"What?" She said, gasping for breath. She sat up and looked at the sheets, picking up her wand from her bedside table and cleaning the droplets of blood that adorned the white cloth. She reached for the blanket and covered her body with it, looking anywhere but at the young man, "What?"

"Do you regret it?" He asked, reaching to caress her face. Hermione moved her head away, hugging the sheets about her tighter, "We shouldn't have done this. I shouldn't have….we can't."

"But we did. Stop pretending I don't affect you, stop pretending like it doesn't matter. Stop lying to yourself." Draco said, his expression hardening, "You don't have to be so fucking gallant all the time."

"What is it to you? I mean nothing to you." Hermione retorted, her eyes accusing. Draco ran a hand through his hair and groaned in frustration, grasping her shoulders and forcing her to look at him, "You are so stupid, Granger. Look at me and tell me I don't care. Look at me." He shouted, making her honey-orbs gaze deep into his silver ones. She opened her mouth to contest, but then saw the look of longing and pain in his eyes. She wanted to not trust him, wanted to resist but there are some things in the world she knew she could be wrong with. Maybe this is one of them too.

To hell with consequences; she had never felt so alive.

"This once… just this once." She whispered, flinging away the sheets and meeting his mouth with hers, letting her worries drown away with the sound of their moans.

* * *

><p>Hermione gently pried herself away from the man beside her, gently peeling away the sheets from her body and slowly getting up off the bed. She looked back at him as she stood up; smiling at the almost innocent look his handsome features took on when he's asleep. She wrapped her robe around herself and reached for her beaded bag and wand on the bedside table, doing a quick scourgify before getting out of the room. She was walking towards the stairs when she heard the door on the next room creak open, Ginny looking at her with a glare.<p>

"What the hell are you doing, Hermione? Just, what the hell?" Ginny fumed, striding at her in three steps, "Are you out of your mind? How can you…."

"How can I what?" Hermione challenged, effectively shutting the youngest Weasley up, her hands on her hips, "How can I what, Gin?"

"How can you sleep with him? Don't you have any self-respect left?" Ginny retorted, her voice full of sting, "You're gonna get yourself hurt, Hermione."

"And how can you know that? How can you know he'd hurt me? Do you know him?" Hermione spat, turning to leave.

"Why? Do you?" The sandy-haired girl said, watching as her brunette friend's shoulder tensed, "Do you love him, Hermione?"

"Can we just shut up about this? This is none of your business; what I do with my life is not for you to pry about. This will not make any difference in what is important right now. Don't boss me around as if you are my mother." She said, walking down the stairs, leaving Ginny sullen behind her.

* * *

><p>Draco frowned as he opened his eyes to the empty space beside him, the moonlight illuminating some spots stained from their activities. He sat up and pulled the sweatpants and shirt on then retrieved his wand and walked out, warily sensing something aloof in the silent house. He walked down the stairs and went to find Hermione, finding her scribbling away inside the mini-library, a mixture of books propped beside her and several more stacked on stools. He leaned on the doorway and cleared his throat, walking inside and stopping in front of her desk when she didn't acknowledge him, "Granger."<p>

"What? I'm fairly busy right now, why don't you help Ginny get our provisions ready?" Hermione said, jotting down something she read onto a piece of parchment, rereading it, then tearing it away from the roll, crumpling and tossing it onto a heap beside her.

"And get shred in half? Nah, I'd rather stay here with you." Draco drawled, pulling a stool and sitting next to her. Hermione fell silent and resumed her work, reading everything she can that might help them find the whereabouts of the last monster, insisting on getting it done before they checked if what they theorized about Ravenclaw's was true. She scribbled a last note on one of the books before closing them, flicking them back to their respective places with her wand. She sighed and looked out of the window, noting the lightening color of the sky, signifying dawn. She got up from the chair and stretched, walking out of the room into the kitchen, avoiding Ginny's gaze as she reached for a toast.

"Hermione…" Ginny started, pursing her lips when Draco appeared, his arms crossed over his chest as he regarded Ginny with a scrutinizing gaze, "What?"

"You look jumpy Red." Draco smirked, sitting next to Hermione and getting a toast for himself. Ginny scoffed and sat on the table, looking at her brunette friend's bowed head, "Hermione, have you checked the mirror lately?"

"No, why?" Hermione said, not looking up. Ginny sighed and unearthed a letter from her robes, pushing it towards her, "This came in a couple of minutes ago, they might be stupid to send it but it was an emergency I guess. They said they found the Order and currently staying with them, asked us if we wanted to go with them there…Harry's gonna contact us later in the evening. Are we going to tell him what we know?"

"It'll be risky to involve more people with what was going on in Hogwarts by now. We should first make sure we were right then if we can't handle it that's the only time we ask for help. It wouldn't do good if many of us were caught if ever we get caught. And it's easier to work with less people when using stealth." Hermione said, reading the letter and finally looking up at her, "Look, Gin, you can go to them if you want to. I want to know what's happening right now. I know they won't tell us anything if we surrendered everything we knew about the monsters, and I'm tired of being in the dark. Look at this; look at what happened when I was gone and I didn't even know about it. I want to do something to help, Ginny. SO you can't force me to go and hide with you in the safehouse if that is what you're suggesting."

Ginny bit her lip and retrieved the letter, turning the page over and muttering a spell. It disappeared, earning a raised eyebrow from Hermione, "It's an advanced form of Evanesco. I can only do it if they sent us a letter first. But it's still risky if Harry can't concentrate well enough, that's why we only used it now. Considering you were, erm, occupied with things a few hours ago."

"Right." Hermione mumbled, bowing her head to hide her blush. Ginny cleared her throat and turned her look towards Draco, "Look, I know you don't care if we win or anything, but if Hermione comes with us, you stay here. I don't want to take any chances."

"Whatever you say, Red. But I doubt Granger will come with you, you heard what she said; she didn't want to be a cooped up owl anymore." Draco drawled, grabbing the pitcher of orange juice from the table and pouring himself a glass, "And do you think I would want to go to your safehouse and see Potter and Weasley's face? I think I'll pass on the offer."

"No one's saying you can go, dimwit." Ginny retorted, giving Hermione a pleading look, "Hermione, please, let's just go; the others can handle this, we can still help them and demand for information if that's what you want, but this is just too dangerous."

"Just because you've been safe and sound in Hogwarts till the other day, doesn't mean I'm the same, Ginny." Hermione replied cooly, "You know I've been through a hell lot, Harry, and Ron too. You'd understand why I don't want to hide if you've been where we've been." She added, putting down her half-eaten toast, "Harry and Ron would've done the same if they were here now. I'm sure it pains them to remain cooped up in the new Safehouse, but they had no choice since they went to the order for help. I won't do the same. Just understand Gin, I need this; I need to know."

"You need this?" Ginny asked, "What is this? What is it that you really need, Hermione? Are you sure this war is where your heart is at?"

"Just what are you suggesting, Ginny Weasley?" Hermione barked, raising from her seat, "Are you saying I'm not doing this to win? Are you saying I'm doing this to be with him?" she said, pointing at the confused Draco. Ginny sneered and folded her arms on her chest, looking at Hermione with pure contempt, "Sleeping with a Slytherin during the war isn't really helping you justify that, is it?"

-Slap-

Hermione's eyes widened in shock at the realization of what she did, lowering her hand slowly as she looked at Ginny's hurt expression, the red-head's hand on her left cheek. Hermione opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Ginny holding up her other hand, "Enough. I'll leave, right now." Ginny said, standing up and walking towards the foyer.

"Ginny, wait, I'm sorry!" Hermione called, sprinting up the hallway to catch up. Ginny had just opened the door when Hermione caught up with her, grasping her wrist, "Ginny, please."

"Do what you have to do, Hermione. I'll tell Harry to send you one if those letters too, just in case you knew where your loyalties lie." Ginny said, her back turned on her. Hermione felt Ginny's wrist shake with silent sobs, making her let go, "Just so you know, I always thought of you as a role model; you were the sister I never had. I just don't want you to get hurt. But you're right, you were always right; I don't know what you've been through. I don't know what you all have been through. But even so, waiting in vain isn't fun either; the thought of where would you be or what was happening when you three went out to hunt for those Horcruxes. You didn't know how it's like to worry and not be able to do anything about it." She said, facing Hermione with tear-strained eyes, "I may not know what it's like to fight in the frontlines, Hermione, but I know what it feels like to see a loved one drop dead in front of you and not be able to save them. I know how it feels like to take care of the dying when you three were always there for each other wherever you go. So don't you tell me that I don't understand any of this; I just don't understand how you could do this to yourself when you know what he's capable of." She said, walking out of the driveway, her wand at the ready. The dawn light shone brightly on her hair, giving the illusion of her hair catching on fire. She turned and smiled softly at Hermione as she twirled on the spot and disappeared, leaving Hermione distraught behind her.

* * *

><p>"Let's get going." Hermione mumbled, her first words since Ginny left a couple of hours ago. It was nightfall, and they both were getting ready for the task at hand, Hermione doing the necessary enchantments to ensure the safety of her house, following Draco out of the door once she was satisfied. She added a couple more undetectable wards outside her home then took the blonde's outstretched hand, feeling the familiar uncomfortable sensation of Disapparition. She gulped lungfuls of fresh air when they arrived at the edge of the Forbidden forest, looking east to where the lake should be, "I think we're safe to walk for now; patrols will rotate in less than two hours if they didn't change anything in Harry's schedule. Just be careful and keep to the dark."<p>

"I know, Granger, you don't need to give me a lecture about sneaking around; I'm a Slytherin." Draco mumbled, tapping his wand above both of them, effectively casting a Disillusionment charm. Hermione held her wand in front of her and proceeded to walk between the trees, both of them avoiding the forest path and sticking to the bushes and overgrown brushes. They walked for a steady couple of minutes before they came at a clearing, the sparkling waters of the lake greeting them like an old friend.

"Ready?" Hermione whispered, taking off her sweater and boots, leaving on her pants and tank top. Draco didn't bother taking off his clothing since nothing in them can drag him down and waved his wand to cast a bubble-head charm on himself, Hermione sniggering at the product, "Suits you."

"Shut up." He mumbled, doing the same on her and smiling, "No much change."

"Shut up." Hermione said, testing the water with her feet. She shivered but steeled herself, thinking if it is really a good idea to do this. Draco sighed and pushed her in, jumping down after her. Hermione glared at him as he waded next to her, but then swam down immediately. Draco followed, lighting his wand as they swam in deeper, avoiding anything that looked unfamiliar and just looking around for any sign.

"How can we find him here?" Hermione said, her voice oddly distorted from the charm, "Are we far from the bottom?"

"Almost there, this lake is huge after all." Draco said, propelling himself forward with agile thrusts of his legs, squinting in the darkness below, "Why don't we go ask the merpeople instead?"

"They won't be friendly." Hermione said, thinking about it; the only time she got in contact with the Merpeople was during the Triwizard tournament, which is not saying much since she was unconscious all the time. But with what she learned during Harry's story and the books she read, these creatures won't be as accommodating as she can hope. They were just swimming down farther when they saw a slash of cloak from their side, the water growing chillingly cold.

The last thing Hermione remembered was a great, silver dragon, and a couple of strong arms yanking her to the surface.

End of Chapter

* * *

><p>Gods I know it's a short update but I have to build it up at some point :D Stick around and I might update in a day or two<p>

I would recommend a story but I'm on hiatus with reading fanfics, so let me ask you guys what your favorite Dramione fanfics are :D I want to read good ones again too^^

As always, please review. I really appreciate your feedbacks ^^

-Silverlining


	9. Capture

A/N: I know people want to kill me for not updating...well I do have a reaon you know xD. My pc crashed a couple of weeks after I published the last chapter and backup of the next chapters I already typed is nonexistent...I simply can't be bothered to tupe out a full 5-chapters of work from scratch. It was really depressing so I stopped.

But then I decided that I should finish what I started and went on writing stuff on paper first. I shouldn't have dismissed this practice in the first place; technology can't be trusted.

Anyway without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy this and stick with the story until the very end.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Draco...but it doesn't stop me from wanting him.

Chapter 9: Capture

It was dark, but the stars never looked any brighter as Draco opened his eyes and coughed out the remaining water lodged in his throat, gasping and wheezing as his disoriented state of mind slowly reverted back to normal. He sat up and held his wand, grasping the wooden weapon in relief when he found it lying a few inches from him. He stood up, mouthing a quick drying spell, beginning to remember what he was doing there in the first place.

"Hermione!" He cried, moving frantically back to the lake. He plunged back in, swimming to where he thought they were before they got attacked, letting his wand's light illuminate any dark corner he could reach. He surfaced for air after a minute, panting, doing the bubble-head charm before plunging again. With every second that passed, his panic rose, dreading what happened bit by bit. He tried pushing any unworthy thoughts away as he swam deeper, praying with all his might that Hermione was safe.

The sight of her beaded bag on the lake's floor sent a chill down his spine.

Hermione opened her eyes, blinking as the room's light hurt her vision momentarily, helping her adjust to the dim dancing of torches. She sat up and looked around, seeing that she was lying on what seemed to be a stone floor inside a dungeon of sorts, the blazing torches around her profoundly cold. She stood up, wracking her brains for a semblance of recollection, and eventually, remembering the things that led to this predicament. She cautiously moved to the far end of the place, reaching a barred door and; pushing at it while muttering a wandless, unlocking spell. She was met with no luck.

"That's pretty pathetic of us if it were that easy to escape here, isn't it?" A chilling voice reached her ears, coming from outside the door, "I suggest you save your strength for that."

"Who are you?" Hermione asked, fighting to keep her voice steady,"Where am I?"

"Ah, they told me you were the bright one. Not surprising that you'd have a lot of questions; always hungry for knowledge." The man drawled on, his icy, baritone making Hermione's hair stand on end, "I suppose there's no harm in telling you, love. You're inside the Malfoy Manor." He said, punctuating the last word with a soft tap on the door's metal frame, "Nice place, isn't it?"

_'Malfoy Manor?'_ She thought, biting her lip; this isn't good, "You haven't answered my first question." She said, aiming to keep the guy talking as she thought of a plan to get out of there, wondering if Draco is alright.

"Who I am isn't important. I think what you want to know is why you are still alive." Hermione could practically hear the smirk in his voice, but he was right; she is part of the Golden Trio, surely they should be torturing vital information from her then and there. So why were they keeping her alive?

"All in good time, sweetheart." The man said, his voice reverberating around the hollow cellar, answering her unvoiced question. Before Hermione could reply, she heard footsteps walking away, leaving her in silence.

The moon cast an eerie glow on the grounds he once called home. Hogwarts shone in the far distance, the twinkling lights on the many windows of the castle reminded him of everything he'd been through until today. He clutched the beaded purse on his hands and sat on the grass, not minding the chilly breeze that permeated through his soaked clothes. He felt so numb, so out of breath as the soft grass swayed around him, his mind running amuck with dreadful thoughts. Thoughts centred around a certain, brown-eyed witch.

"Granger." He mouthed, a tinge of warmth spreading from his tongue to his fingertips at the mere mention of her name. Draco glanced at the purse, then to his wand and decided to peruse the small satchel. Her abductors were no men, his Patronus barely saving himself from their advances as he recalled the clammy, deathly fingers of the Dementors. He tipped the bag upside down, shaking all the contents out, his eyes wide with amazement.

Out fell a dozen books, phials and vials of potions and ingredients, bouncin off the grass, rolling a few feet before stopping around him. The small patch of tarpaulin that Draco recognized as the magical tent and a bundle of clothes followed suit. The last items that tumbled out were Hermione's wand and thd shard of mirror they used to contact Harry. The blonde's eyes widened as he picked up the wand, his pulse quickening at the thought of her wandless. _'Where is she? Is she still...'_

He shook himself mid-thought as he hastily charmed the objects back inside, securing the pouch before examining the small mirror that he refrained from returning. Hermione is okay, he forced himself to think, figuring her brains would probably save her from where she is now. But he can not help the feeling of dread that filled the pits of his stomach as he turned the mirror over and over, willing for someone to answer. He hated to think that he needed Saint Potter's help to save Hermione, but her life is at stake; he is going to get all the help he can get.

The mirror rippled at last, and, sure enough, Harry Potter's gaunt face appeared. He looked worn, exhausted; like he was fighting a horde of Hippogriffs on his own. Draco waited for Harry to speak, running a hand through his wet locks to ease them out of his eyes.

"Malfoy? W-where's Hermione?" Harry began, his voice raspy, "Is she alright?"

"No, they took her." Draco said, forcing the words through gritted teeth, "We went to the lake to get Ravenclaw's thing but we were attacked by Dementors. She was gone when I woke up."

"She what?!" Harry hissed, and Draco could fill him crumble. He watched as Harry shook his head in disbelief, then in horror then anger as he shouted at the blonde, "You were supposed to keep her safe! And how do I know you're not in on this?"

"I wouldn't be here asking your bloody help if I am, now would I?" Draco replied with equal intensity, "I wouldn't have escaped with her when the Death Eaters attacked her tent in that fucking forest; I would have abandoned her, just as you and Weasel did."

"We never abandoned her!" The image of Harry's face shook as his hands did, "We would never.."

"Yeah? Keep telling yourself that, Potter, and while you're at it, why don't you have some fucking scones and sit around in your safehouse while Granger's gone somewhere hell knows!" He was ready to throw the mirror away; Harry Potter be damned, he will save Hermione on his own if he had to.

"Wait!" A collective smile escaped her lips, their anger and frustration evaporating into gnawing fear, "Do you know where they might have taken her? And how did they find you in the first place?"

"I don't know how they found us, but I might know where they took her." He stopped for a moment, deep in thought; he felt like he was missing sometuing, but he can't point out what, "So, are you coming or what?"

"Wht do you mean?"

"Are you deaf? I remember asking you to come help me." Draco said, running a hand through his hair once more. Harry frowned, adjusting his glasses, "We can't do this alone, Malfoy, don't be obtuse. Where are you?" He aaid, putting the mirror down to, what Draco assumed, get ready. The Slytherin was ready to blow but he knew Harry ws right, it was the reason he contacted him in the first place. Harry came back, looking determined, his green eyes directly boring onto Draco's silver ones aa the blonde began to speak, "The Lake, hurry."

Hermione have tried every unlocking and banishing wandless spell she knew, but the door remained an impassive wall of steel, as if mocking her. She knew long before that the cellar was covered with dark and powerful magic, but she can't help but try. Defeated, she slumped at the floor, sighing heavily and looking around. If she is in the Malfoy Manor, it only meant that she is at the cellar below the drawing room, where Bellatrix Lestrange carved the offending words on her forearm. Hermione shivered at the thought of facing the crazy witch again, but she knew that it was inevitable. As the torches inside the dungeon winked at her lazily, she wondered if Draco is safe, cursing under her breath for not sensing the danger before him. His Patronus saved his skin, that's for sure, vaguely remembering the Dementors cowering aay from him as they took her with them, powerless in their clammy hands. She rummaged around her waist, frowning at the absence of her beaded purse and ighed, clutching at her head with both hands.

No Dobby to save her now.

Just as she was, once again, mourning the loss of that particularly faithful, house-elf, she heard a popping sound from above her head and briefly thought that it was Dobby. She looked up, and saw a floating piece of parchment, scrambling on her feet to snatch at it. Her grip tightened, almos boring holes on the piece with her fingers as she read, a lump forming on her throat.

_'We're coming to get you back, Hermione._

_Hang in there_

_-Harry'_

"No! Then that means..." They will be marching straight inside Malfoy Manor. Hermione was sure that they've gone completely bonkers and knew who might have told them the possibility of her being here. Frantically, she searched for something to use to write on the note, wishing she could break a certain Malfoy's bones at that time, upturning her pockets in hopes of finding anything but it was useless; she always stored her things inside the beaded bag since she didn't count on losing it with all her carefully placed enchantments. The Evanesco charm seemed to be two-way as she thought, the parchment slowly fading and she only had time to splinter off a small piece of wood from the torch above her, burn it a bit before putting it out and scrawling haphazardly with the charcoaled end before it popped away.

If someone told Draco Malfoy years ago that he would be joining forces with Harry 'Boy-Who-Just-Won't-Die' Potter, and Ron 'Poor-as-a-Rat' Weasley, to save Hermione 'Know-it-All' Granger and not to mention, fall in love with a muggleborn, he would have laughed and maybe throw a flask of pumpkin juice on them. As it is, he found himself running a hand through his hair, minutes ticking by after they sent a letter, and the gnawing dread in his stomach expanding into a churning void.

"How would you even know that it reached her?" He asked Harry, although his silvery eyes kept on staring daggers at Ron. He howled for an hour about trusting a Malfoy before Drago impatiently put a silencing charm on him, leaving him mum for an hour, with Harry surprisingly not bothering to undo it.

"We don't." Harry's short answer came, checking his watch, "We don't until it comes back and we see Hermione's writing on it or something. Since she didn't have her wand, I charmed the letter to go back after a few minutes. We just have to wait a bit longer." He finished, pushing his glasses up his nos. Draco groaned, lying on the grass with an infuriated sigh, "Why can't you just take my word for it? The could be doing things to her right now while we sit here and do nothing. If I'd have known you bumbling idiots would just stand by and write her letters, I would have went alone." He snarled, getting up and preparing to apparate. A loud pop rooted him on the spot, his wand raised as a piece of parchment appeared in front of him. He recovered quickly, snatching the parchment before Harry and Ron could, reading the words with a snort, "At least she got that right. Any more objections?"

Harry retrieved the archment from him, smirking at the blackeed scrawl before passing it on to Ron:

'_You idiots.'_

"Come on then."

Malfoy Manor stood at the outskirts of a prominent town of Wiltshire, overlooking picturesque, rolling hills, and endless plains of rosebushes. The once, magnifcent facade now looked like an abandoned ghost-house, the path leading to the main gate overruled by unkempt bushes., Harry could have sworn he even saw a gnome or two. Draco put up a hand to make them stop, a few meters away from the cobbled path that lead to the vicinity of the Manor and faced them with a grim look on his face, "There are going to be wards all over the place so naturally we can't just waltz in usin the main gate. Lucky for you, though, I know another way."

"Just tll us or lead the way, Malfoy, quit your yapping." Ron said, at last free from the silencing charm after Harry undid it before they apparated to the Manor.

"Shut up Weasley, listen; the other entrance requires someone to be outside to prevent the passage from closing. Father built it as a smuggle path for his..artifacts." Draco begn, his face scrunching in disgust, "We also have to use thatas a way out, sine after your little accident with that house-elf, security's been tighter and all other entraces should be closed off."

"Well hen you stay while we rescue her–"

"The wrds will detec anyone without Malfoy blood unless a Malfoy authorized him or her to come in." He continues, effectively cutting off Ron's protest. The silence that followed aas deafening and it put Draco to near impatience. After a couple of minutes and a grunt from Draco, Hary sighed, rubbing at his temples, "I'll do it. You two go get Hermione." He said, surprising both Ron and Draco. Then and there, Draco's respect for Harry shot up a bit. He knew Potter was only considering to e left behind for the sake of halting the argument, and that he understood the importance of the precious minutes they let slipaway, and for that he is grateful. He gave the bespectacled boy a nod, crossing his arms over his chest, "No complaints here"

"Go on Ron, it wouldn't be so bad." Harry said, looking pointedy at his best friend, "Just make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Right." Draco answered before Ron could, earning an angry glare from the red-head. Ron finally sighed, shrugging before nodding at Harry, "Alright. We'll be back with Hermione. Count on it."

End of chapter

Alright, before you guys burn me on a stake I want to take this oportunity to say thank you to those who waited for this update for a long time. This time I'm doing triple backups and I will be damned if that is not enough.

Thank you so much for reading and I know not much happened yet. Rest assured, I'm getting there and you guys will love it soon

Till next chap!~

-Silverlining


End file.
